GAFFNEY, S.C. --- Trenton Gibson scored 17 of his game-high 19 points in the second half in leading the Tusculum University men's basketball team to a 74-58 South Atlantic Conference win over Limestone University Monday night at the Timken Center.
Tusculum (16-7, 16-5 SAC) completes the season sweep over the Saints (9-16, 7-15 SAC) to remain in third place in the SAC standings. Monday's victory also clinches the Pioneers a SAC Tournament quarterfinal home game next Wednesday (Mar. 2) at Pioneer Arena.
The Pioneers are in the middle of a stretch, playing six games in nine days including this week alone where TU will have four games in a six-day span. Tusculum will host UVA Wise for Senior Night on Wednesday and will close out the regular-season home slate with Mars Hill University on Thursday. The regular-season will wrap on Saturday at Anderson University.
For a second straight game, the Pioneers placed five players in double figure scoring including Gibson (19), William Vedder (13), Justin Mitchell (11), James West IV (11) and Inady Legiste (11).
Limestone's Ben Gahlert accounted for a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds while Richard Nunez finished with 10 points in the loss.
Tusculum went on a 13-2 run over a four-minute span, sparked by three-pointers from Vedder and Jacob Hobbs as the Pioneers led 23-14 with 7:57 left in the first half.
The Saints scored five straight to cut the deficit to 23-19 as the team's traded buckets over the next three minutes. With TU ahead 29-25 with 3:54 on the clock the Pioneers pushed their advantage out to double figures for the first time at 35-25 following a pair of made free throws by Justin Mitchell. Limestone cut the deficit in half scoring the final five points of the period as Tusculum led 35-30 at the intermission.
The Pioneers led 47-41 with 12:58 left in the game as TU scored 11 in a row as part of a 13-1 run to extend its lead to 60-42 with nine minutes remaining.
Limestone answered with nine unanswered points to trim the TU lead to single digits at 60-51 with 5:36 on the scoreboard. A West triple stopped the LU run, but Gahlert responded with a three-pointer of his own to make it a 63-54 game with 4:12 to go.
But after a media timeout, Tusculum would not miss a shot for the remainder of the game as Gibson scored seven straight on his own with a three-pointer and four straight free throws. Justin Mitchell made a layup and Kobe Funderburk came off the bench and connected on a pair of free throws as the Pioneers secured its first road win at the Timken Center since 1998.
Tusculum finished the game shooting 26-of-55 from the floor for 47.3 percent including 13-of-24 in the second half (54.2%). TU also buried nine 3-pointers and went 13-of-17 at the free throw line (76.5%). Limestone was held to 28 second half points as the Saints finished the game shooting 36.5 percent and went 3-of-20 from three-point territory.
Tusculum's Brandon Mitchell recorded his 193rd career blocked shot, which moves him into sole possession of eighth place in the SAC record book, moving past former Presbyterian College center Eric Burrow (192, 1995-1999).
The 58 points scored by Limestone are the fewest in 14-game history of the series with Tusculum. TU also holds an opponent under 60 points for a fourth time this season and a 16th time over the last four years.
Tusculum also improved its road record to an impress 9-3 this season, which are tied for second-most in a TU single-season. The 1992-93 team holds the record with 10 road wins in a season.
