JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. --- Jalen Crowder hit a pair of three-pointers in the final 15 seconds including the game-winner with three seconds remaining as the Tusculum Pioneers overcame a 15-point deficit to edge arch-rival Carson-Newman 68-67 Wednesday night at Holt Fieldhouse in a South Atlantic Conference thriller.
Tusculum (13-6, 12-4 SAC) snaps the Eagles (14-8, 11-7) 10-game home winning streak and records its third straight victory over Carson-Newman. TU also remains in third place in the league standings and are a game-and-a-half clear of Wingate and two-and-half ahead of C-N in the SAC standings
Crowder finished the game with a season-best 17 points including a dozen in the second half, shooting 6-of-9 from the field for the game, including 5-of-8 from three-point territory.
TU trailed 63-52 with 5:46 left on the clock and closed out the game with a 16-4 run including 10 unanswered points. During the 10-0 run, Crowder hit a three-pointer followed by a three-point play from Trenton Gibson with 4:10 remaining for his 1,500th career point.
Both teams went ice cold for the next 2:23 as the two East Tennessee rivals combined to go 0-for-5 with a pair of turnovers including a shot clock violation by the Eagles with 2:02 to go. TU's William Vedder made a layup with 1:47 left to trim the C-N to one (63-62).
The teams exchanged turnovers including a steal and dunk by C-N's Bryant Thomas as the home team went up 65-62 with 52 seconds remaining.
After a Tusculum timeout, the Pioneers committed their 18th turnover of the game and 10th of the half with 37 seconds remaining. Luke Brenegan was fouled as he made one of two free throws to extend the lead back out to four at 66-62 with 28 seconds on the scoreboard.
The Pioneers moved into the front court and Crowder drained his fourth 3-pointer of the game with 15 seconds remaining to cut the C-N lead to 66-65. Tusculum would call its final timeout as the Eagles threw the ball to an open Tripp Davis who was fouled hard going up for the shot. He would come out of the game as Nick Brenegan came off the bench to shoot the free throws. He would miss the first but made the second for a 67-65 C-N lead with 10 seconds to go.
Tusculum got the ball to Gibson on the wing and was double-teamed. He would pass the ball out to the middle to Crowder who drained the 30-footer with three seconds left as the Pioneers took its first lead since being up 4-2 in the opening minute of the contest.
Luke Brenegan got off a desperation heave before the buzzer that was on target but hit off the back iron as the Pioneers secured the hard-fought victory.
Gibson's 14 points gives him exactly 1,500 points in his career and becomes only the 11th player in the 111-year history of the program to achieve the feat. He finished the game with team-highs with six rebounds and six assists.
Brandon Mitchell went 6-of-9 from the floor for his 12 points, while Justin Mitchell accounted for 10 points for the visitors.
C-N's EJ Bush scored team-best 16 points as he went 8-for-12 from the floor while making his first seven field goals to start the game. Davis finished with 13 points, while Luke Brenegan accounted for 12 points and a game-best seven assists.
Carson-Newman jumped out of the starting gate on fire making their first seven shots to take a 16-6 lead. The Eagles used a 14-2 run including 11 unanswered points.
Tusculum responded with a 9-2 spurt of its own as Jalen Crowder drained a three-pointer and Inady Legiste converted a layup to cut the deficit to 18-15 with 13:51 left in the period.
The Pioneers would miss its next seven shots and went scoreless over five-minute span. Meanwhile, C-N erupted for eight straight points to kick start a 12-2 run as the Eagles took its largest lead of the half at 30-17.
TU snapped the drought with a 7-0 run as Gibson scored five markers including a three-pointer as the Pioneers trailed 30-26.
C-N closed out the half with a 6-2 run with all the offense coming from Bush who finished the half making all seven of his field goal attempts as the Eagles led 36-28 at the intermission.
Tusculum finished the game shooting 48.2 percent including 15-of-23 in the second half (65.2%). The Eagles shot 44.3 percent from the field and 5-of-16 from three-point territory including 2-of-8 in the second half. TU held a 34-32 edge on the boards. The Eagles scored 18 points off of TU's 18 turnovers which included 12 steals. C-N led for over 38 minutes of game time.
The Pioneers, who trailed 56-41 with 12:15 left in the game, overcome a double-digit for the second time this year and for the 12th time in the four seasons under TU head coach J.T. Burton, who was coaching in his 100th game at Tusculum on Wednesday. The 15-point deficit was the fourth-largest comeback by the Pioneers in recorded school history.
Tusculum returns to action this Saturday for a 4 p.m. road game at Newberry College. TU defeated the Wolves 73-57 in the season's first meeting but the Wolves have won four of their last six including Wednesday's 62-57 home victory over Wingate.
