GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- After missing a week of games due to COVID protocols, the Tusculum University men's basketball team will begin a grueling stretch over the final two weeks of the South Atlantic Conference season.

The Pioneers (14-6, 14-4 SAC) will play six games over a nine-day span in closing out the regular season. Tusculum will be at eighth-ranked Lincoln Memorial this Thursday before returning home on Saturday to host Coker. Last Saturday's game at Limestone has been rescheduled for this coming Monday (Feb. 21) in Gaffney, South Carolina.

Following next week's Limestone game, the Pioneers will host UVA Wise (Feb. 23) and Mars Hill (Feb. 24) in consecutive days before ending the regular season at Anderson on Feb. 26. Of TU's final six contests, the Pioneers own a 5-1 record against them this season with the only blemish being against Lincoln Memorial.

TU has won nine of its last 11 games including back-to-back road victories at Carson-Newman and Newberry two weeks ago to run its record in away games to an impressive 8-2 this year. Tusculum's eight road wins this year are tied for the third-most in school history and two away from matching the school-record 10 road victories by the 1992-93 squad.

SCOUTING THE PIONEERS

With six contests left to play over the final two weeks, Tusculum remains in third place in the South Atlantic Conference standings with a 14-4 league mark (.778). TU is trailing league co-leaders Queens and Lincoln Memorial who have identical 18-3 records.

Tusculum has been getting the job defensively this season where the Pioneers are limiting the opposition to 69.8 points per game, which are ranked third in the conference in scoring defense. TU has limited teams to just 62.9 ppg in its last 11 games including 61.8 ppg in the last four.

Coach J.T. Burton's club is grabbing 40.05 rebounds per contest (3^rd in SAC / 22^nd in NCAA II) including 13.35 offensive boards per game (2^nd in SAC / 12^th in NCAA II). TU's three-point field goal percentage defense (29.7% - 15^th in NCAA II) is the best in the SAC by percentage points, just ahead of LMU.

TU graduate student Trenton Gibson is the league's second-leading scorer averaging 18.3 points per game. Gibson is coming off his ninth 20-plus point effort of the season and 25^th of his storied career. He has scored 10 or more points in 83 of his 99 career games.

Gibson, the 2021 SAC Player and Scholar Athlete of the Year, continues to be the only player in the league who is listed in the top-10 statistically in scoring (2nd), rebounding (6.7 rpg – 9^th) and assists (5.3 apg – 4^th). His 5.3 assists per game average is ranked 20^th in the nation. He is fourth in the league in free throw percentage shooting 84.2 percent from the foul line. Gibson enters the week needing nine made free throws to surpass former All-SAC guard Darius Carter, who posted a school record 458 free throw makes (2011-2016).

The two-time All-Conference honoree eclipsed the 1,500-point plateau for his career two weeks ago, becoming only the 11^th player in the 111-year history of the Tusculum program to achieve that feat. He is currently listed in the top-10 in the TU record book in 10 statistical categories including: points (1520 – 9^th), field goals made (478 – 9th), field goal attempts (1152 – 5th), free throws made (450 – 2nd), free throw attempts (561 – 2nd), free throw percentage (.802 – 6th), rebounds (636 – 8th), rebound average (6.42 rpg – 4th), assists (423 – 3rd), assists per game (4.27 apg – 6th) and steals (121 – 7th).

Sophomore forward Inady Legiste is TU's second leading scorer averaging 10.0 points per game. The 2021 SAC All-Freshman Team honoree is coming off a 12-point showing against Newberry which snapped a six-game, double-digit scoring drought for Legiste. He has made nine straight field goals since the second half of the Jan. 29 Lenoir-Rhyne game, raising his field goal percentage to 55.5 percent which is 10^th in the league. He is grabbing 4.0 rebounds per game and leads the Pioneers in blocked shots averaging 1.40 per game, which is second-best in the conference.

Virginia State University transfer forward William Vedder is third on the team averaging 9.2 points off the bench. He is shooting 52.4 percent from the field (16th in SAC) and grabbing 5.3 rebounds per contest (24^th in SAC). While at VSU, he helped the Trojans to three CIAA Division titles as well as three trips to the NCAA postseason.

Justin Mitchell is fourth on the team averaging 9.0 points per game including 13.4 ppg in his last four outings. During that four-game stretch, he is shooting 23-of-43 from the field (53.5%). He is averaging 5.3 rebounds per game (23^rd in SAC) and his 1.4 steals per contest are best on the team and 10^th in the conference. He is the only player on the Tusculum roster to have started in every game this season.

Graduate student forward Brandon Mitchell leads the Pioneers in field goal percentage and is second on the team in rebounding and blocked shots. His .635 field goal percentage is fourth-best in the conference while his 6.5 rebounds per contest are 10^th in the league. He is averaging 7.8 points per game, which is the fifth-best average on the squad.

Mitchell has hauled in 747 rebounds in his Tusculum career which are the third-most in program history. His 336 career offensive rebounds are listed second in the SAC record book, while his TU-record 192 career blocked shots are the second-most by an active NCAA Division II player and are ninth in league history.

James West IV, a 2021 All-SAC honorable mention selection, is averaging 6.4 points and 1.4 rebounds per game this season. West got back to his All-Conference form at Newberry where he scored 11 points and connected on three 3-pointers. In just 30 career games at Tusculum, he has already made 61 treys which comes out to over two triples per contest (2.03).

Junior college transfer Jalen Crowder was held scoreless at Newberry, after matching a season-high 17 points in the win at Carson-Newman including the game-winning three-pointer with three seconds remaining in a 68-67 victory. Despite being held scoreless in two of his last five games, he is still posting 10 points per contest during that span. He has connected on 15 of his last 29 three-point tries (51.7%) and is averaging 5.3 points per game this year while playing in all 20 outings.

True freshman KJ Crump has earned a start on 18 occasions in his rookie campaign including his last 14 outings dating back to Dec. 1 when he scored a season-best 18 points in TU's 81-74 upset win at No. 4 Queens University of Charlotte. His .388 three-point percentage is best on the team (17^th in SAC) as he is posting 5.4 points and 1.5 rebounds per game. As a rookie, his 2.5 assist-to-turnover ratio is ranked fifth in the league.

Lipscomb University transfer Jacob Hobbs has been in the starting lineup in the last 11 games where TU has posted a sterling 9-2 record. He is averaging 4.1 points and 3.5 rebounds per game, while also totaling 19 assists, six blocks and 16 steals.

SCOUTING LINCOLN MEMORIAL

Lincoln Memorial (21-3, 18-3 SAC) finds itself in familiar territory… a top the South Atlantic Conference standings. The Railsplitters are riding a seven-game winning streak and are undefeated at home this year with a perfect 12-0 worksheet. In fact, LMU has a NCAA Division II best 42-game home winning streak.

Thursday's game will be LMU's only game of the week and will be their final home contest of the regular season. The Railsplitters will wrap up their regular season next week with road outings at Carson-Newman and Limestone.

LMU has won 20 straight home games against the Pioneers with TU's last road win against the Railsplitters in Harrogate coming on Dec. 3, 2005 in a 61-59 victory. Tusculum has won three of its last five games at Tex Turner Arena including last year's NCAA II Southeast Region quarterfinal win over Carson-Newman and victories against USC Aiken and Clayton State in the 2019 season-opening SAC/Peach Belt Clash.

A new chapter was unveiled last March with the hire of Jeremiah Samarrippas as head coach of the Lincoln Memorial basketball program. Samarripappas, who has been affiliated with the LMU program since 2014, replaced long-time head coach Josh Schertz after a successful 13-year run with the Railsplitters. While on Schertz's staff, LMU posted an impressive 197-28 record with three trips to the DII Final Four including last year.

In this year's first meeting, LMU's Mekell Burries scored 25 points off the bench including a key jumper with 11 seconds remaining to lead the then No.15 Railsplitters to an 82-75 win at Tusculum. The LMU win also snapped the Pioneers' 12-game home winning streak.

During LMU's seven-game winning streak, have won by double digits in six of them and have eclipsed the century mark three times. The Railsplitters three losses have come on the road at Wingate, Queens and Catawba, losing by a combined nine points.

LMU is averaging a SAC-high 88.5 points per game (8^th in NCAA II) and is the only league school shooting over 50 percent as a team (51.3% - 7^th in NCAA II). LMU is tallying 11.8 three-pointers per contest which are the third-most in the country (NCAA II). LMU is also tops in the SAC in field goal percentage defense (.398 – 12^th in NCAA II), scoring margin (+17.8 – 6^th in NCAA II), assists per game (19.4 apg – 4^th in NCAA II), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.56 – 8^th in NCAA II) and three-point field goal percentage (.392 – 21^st in NCAA II).

One item which sticks out for LMU is they have used only 11 players this season with six players averaging in double figures, led by reigning SAC Player of the Week Jordan Guest. Guest, the 2021 NCAA Regional Most Outstanding Player, leads the team with 16.3 points per game and 7.6 rebounds per contest. He averaged 22 points per game last week including 26 at Newberry.

Junior guard Chase Rankin is second on the team averaging 13.1 points per game while shooting 56.3 percent from the floor. Rankin has already accounted for a pair of triple-doubles this season. Rankin, who was limited to just three points in this year's first encounter against Tusculum, has scored in double digits in each of his last nine including 15 markers in Saturday's win at Newberry.

Burries (12.9 ppg), Alex Dahling (12.3 ppg), Matthew Sells (11.5 ppg) and Jordan Walters (11.2 ppg) are all averaging in double figures for the Splitters.

SCOUTING COKER

Coker is 4-20 overall and 4-17 in conference play and enter this week riding an eight-game losing streak and have dropped 11 of its last 12 including a 74-57 home loss to Tusculum on Jan. 15 in this year's first encounter. Saturday's game at Tusculum will be the Cobras only scheduled game of the week and last road outing of the season.

Senior guard Chandler Lindsey is pacing the Cobra offense with his 13.5 points, 4.5 assists and 1.7 steals (3rd in SAC) per game average. He is also second on the team pulling down 4.1 rebounds per game.

Junior forward Williams Onyeodi is second on the roster averaging 12.3 points per game while shooting a team-best 55 percent from the field.

SCOUTING LIMESTONE

The Limestone Saints enter the week 9-13 overall and 7-12 in conference play. The Saints had their three-game winning streak snapped two weeks ago with a 73-65 road loss at Lenoir-Rhyne. They followed that with a 75-58 home loss to Wingate.

The Saints will have consecutive road games at 10^th-ranked Queens before making the trip to Carson-Newman this Saturday.

Limestone dropped a hard-fought 77-68 decision at Tusculum on Nov. 23 in the season's first meeting.

Ayo Dada leads Limestone with his 16.3 points per game, while sophomore forward Ben Gahlert is second on the roster with his 15.5 points per game average, while also leading the team with 6.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game.  Dada scored a season-high 35 points against Catawba earlier this season. Gahlert is averaging 19.1 points per game in his last seven outings including a season-best 28 points last month at Mars Hill.

Guard Isayah Owens is third on the team in scoring with 13.3 points per game and is the Saints' leader in assists dishing out 3.0 helpers per contest.

SERIES HISTORY

Lincoln Memorial: Thursday will be the 186th recorded meeting between Tusculum and Lincoln Memorial in the longest running rivalry in Pioneer history. LMU leads the all-time series 140-45 and have won 30 of the last 32 meetings. In those 32 games, LMU has been nationally ranked in 28 of them. TU handed the No. 8 Railsplitters a 90-74 loss last February. Lincoln Memorial won the last meeting in Harrogate, an 80-66 decision in the NCAA II Southeast Regional Semifinal last March.

Coker: Saturday will be the 18th encounter between the Pioneers and Cobras in series that is just eight years old. TU leads the series 9-8 with the Pioneers winning eight of the last 11 meetings, including a 6-1 record over the past four years.

Limestone: Next Monday will be the 14th meeting between the Pioneers and Limestone. The Saints lead the series 9-4 and have won two of the last three meetings including last year's 68-61 victory in Gaffney in the 2020-21 season's only meeting. Limestone won the first six meetings in the series which began on Nov. 14, 1981. Three meetings of the series came in the 1997-98 campaign alone. TU won in Boiling Springs, North Carolina in the consolation game of the Gardner-Webb Invitational. TU also won the rematch in Gaffney, 82-65 on Jan. 10, 1998.

TICKETS

Admission for Tusculum home basketball games is $10 for all entrants and children 12 and under will be admitted free. Tusculum students will be admitted free and valid Tusculum ID is required. Fans may also purchase tickets online in advance through HomeTown Ticketing at www.TusculumPioneers.com/information/tickets.

Spectators using HomeTown Ticketing can choose to print tickets at home or use mobile entry tickets at the gate. All attendees are currently required to wear face masks while inside Pioneer Arena.

FOLLOW THE PIONEERS

Fans can watch the action of Tusculum basketball all season at TusculumPioneers.com on the Pioneer Sports Network and the SAC Digital Network. The radio call of the games will also be available locally on WSMG Radio on 95.5 FM and 1450 AM, as well as online at https://jewel955.com/listenlive.

Tusculum fans are encouraged to visit the athletic web sites of our road opponents prior to traveling for information regarding attendance policies at away events.