GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Carson-Newman's Tripp Davis' lay-up was counted on a goal-tending call with six seconds remaining as the third-seeded Eagles edged No. 2 seed Tusculum 60-59 Thursday night in a semifinal match-up of the Pilot/Flying J South Atlantic Conference Men's Basketball Championship.
Carson-Newman (15-5) extends its winning streak to 10 games and advances to Sunday's championship game at top-seeded Queens University of Charlotte.
Tusculum (13-5) has its eight-game winning streak halted and as well as its 12-game home winning streak dating back to last season. The Pioneers will await word of a possible at-large berth to next week's NCAA II Southeast Regional. The tournament field will be announced on NCAA.com at 10:30 p.m. (ET).
Tusculum, who led for the first two minutes of the game, regained the lead with 56.2 seconds when SAC Player of the Year Trenton Gibson buried a 15-foot jumper as the Pioneers led 59-58.
C-N's Luke Brenegan missed a contested shot in the paint but the loose ball caromed out to the wing and was hauled in by Bryant Thomas with 24.1 second remaining as the Eagles call timed out.
C-N got the ball to Davis on the right wing as he drove to the basket as TU's Brandon Mitchell looked to have recorded his eighth block of the game, but goaltending was the call as the Eagles led 60-59 with six seconds remaining.
Tusculum went the length of the court and James West IV passed the ball to Gibson heading down the left side of the lane, but his shot was no good as the Eagles held on for the win and advance to the SAC Championship for a fifth time in school history.
Carson-Newman's EJ Bush led all scorers with 23 points as he went 11-of-18 from the floor and was the only Eagle in double-figure scoring. SAC Freshman of the Year Ren Dyer finished with nine points and a team-high six rebounds, while Davis tallied eight markers in the win.
Gibson accounted for 16 points, nine rebound and five assists as he played the entire game. Brandon Mitchell shot 6-of-8 from the floor for 13 points and posted a career-high seven blocked shots which are tied for the second most in TU history. SAC All-Freshmen honoree Inady Legiste contributed 11 points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots off the bench before fouling out of the game.
The Eagles led throughout most of the game and took its largest lead of the night at 46-33 with 13:05 remaining in the game as SAC Freshman of the Year Ren Dyer buried a three-pointer. Tusculum followed with a 10-1 spurt over the next five minutes as sophomore Justin Mitchell score six straight points as TU trailed 47-43 with 7:29 remaining.
Brenegan drained a three-pointer with 6:01 left for a 52-45 lead, but TU went on an 8-2 run including three-pointers by Legiste and Gibson to trim the deficit to 54-53 with 3:57 to go. Bush hit a jumper for C-N and Legiste went 1-of-2 at the free throw line as the Eagles led by two (56-54) with three minutes remaining.
C-N came up empty on its trip and the Pioneers got two looks on its next trip down the floor including an offensive rebound and put-back by Legiste to tie the game at 56-56 with 2:16 to go.
Thomas went 1-of-2 at the foul line for a 57-56 C-N lead. Gibson would be fouled on TU's ensuing possession and he went 1-of-2 to tie the game at 57-57 with 1:40 remaining. Dyer would get his chance at the charity stripe with 1:16 left as he went 1-of-2 to give the visitors a 58-57 lead and set the table for the final exciting minute.
Neither team shot about 40 percent for the game as TU went 23-of-59 for 39 percent and the Eagles were held to 23-of-62 shooting for 37.1 percent. The Pioneers were forced into 19 turnovers, while C-N committed 11 miscues. TU also finished the game with 10 blocked shots as a team.
Brandon Mitchell eclipsed the 600-rebound mark as his 604 career boards are the ninth-most in school history.
