GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Tusculum's Connor Jordan hit the game-winning jumper with 2.6 seconds left as the Pioneers rallied from a 19-point deficit to edge nationally-ranked UNC Pembroke 81-80 Saturday afternoon at Pioneer Arena.
Jordan's 17-foot jumper from the left elbow gave Tusculum its first and only lead of the game as the TU senior finished with a season-high 22 points including 16 in the second half.
The Pioneers (2-1) trailed by the Braves (2-3) as many as 19 points on two occasions in the first half, making this the fourth-largest comeback win in recorded program history. UNCP is ranked eighth in the latest NABC Division II Poll and 24th in the Division II College Sports Communicators Media Poll.
The contest was physical one as both teams combined for 51 fouls, three technical fouls and 70 free throw attempts combined.
Tusculum junior guard KJ Crump added a season-best 15 markers as he went 7-of-10 from the floor while redshirt freshman forward TJ Printup did not miss a shot as he went 3-of-3 from the field and 8-of-8 at the free throw line for his 14 points. He also pulled down a team-best six rebounds. TU redshirt freshman Bryce Jackson added nine points off the bench, while Akeem Odusipe added eight points, five rebounds and two blocked shots.
UNC Pembroke's Elijah Cobb led all scorers with 23 points as he went 9-of-11 from the floor while recording eight rebounds, four assists and two steals. Josh Berenbaum tallied 19 points off the bench while Bradlee Haskell finished with 15 points, four assists and two steals for the Braves.
UNCP jumped out of the gate on fire and lead 18-3 in the opening 5:50 with Berenbaum scoring 10 of his 13 first half points during the run.
Tusculum closed the gap to 10 thanks to a jumper by Jordan and a three-point play from Jackson as TU trailed 18-8 at the 12:29 mark of the period.
The Braves upped the advantage to 14 on two occasions including 24-10 following a Berenbaum bucket. Tusculum whittled the deficit to 10 once again at 26-16 with 6:54 on the scoreboard. But UNCP went on a 9-0 spurt with Elijah Cobb sparking the charge with four points including his dunk to extend the lead to 35-16 with 4:36 left in the half.
The Braves led 37-18 with four minutes on the clock, but the Pioneers closed out the half with a 14-4 run including a steal and fast break lay-up at the buzzer as Tusculum trailed 41-32 at the half.
UNC Pembroke would run its advantage out to 15 points to start the second period following a three-point by Haskell to go up 54-39 with 15:36 remaining. Tusculum responded with a 10-0 spurt which eight points by Jordan and a triple from senior Kobe Funderburk as the Pioneers trailed by five (54-49) with 13:16 remaining.
The Pioneers would never trail by double-digits for the remainder of the contest as UNCP pushed its lead out to eight on four occasions over the next eight minutes including 71-63 after a layup from Amare Miller with 5:44 on the clock.
Printup scored four straight points for the Pioneers to cut the UNCP lead to 71-67 with 4:45 to go, but Berenbaum answered with a reverse layup to make it a 73-67 game with 4:33 remaining.
With 3:56 to go, Jackson was fouled on a three-point try and he would make all three of his free throws to make it a one-possession game at 73-70.
Haskell was fouled and made one of two free throws, but Crump followed with driving layup to make it a two-point game (74-72) with 3:31 on the scoreboard.
Javonte Waverly drilled a triple from the wing to extend the lead to 77-72 with 3:11 on the clock. Jordan was fouled as he made two free throws and Cobb connected on a bucket for the visitors as UNCP led 79-74 with 2:33 remaining.
Jordan answered with a jumper 13 seconds later to make it a 79-76 score and UNCP turned the ball over on its next possession on an errant pass with just under two minutes to go.
The Pioneers took advantage as Jackson drained a game-tying three-pointer to knot the score at 79-79 with 1:31 remaining. Jordan fouled Cobb with 1:02 on the clock and he would miss the first free throw, but make the second to give the Braves an 80-79 lead. The Pioneers would not get up a shot on its next possession and would turn the ball over with 45.1 seconds left.
With the one-point lead, the Braves would work the clock down, but Jordan deflected the ball causing a scramble for the ball. UNCP came up with the ball and attempted to call a timeout but the shot clock expired as TU took over with 13.6 seconds left.
Trailing by one, Tusculum called its final timeout to set up the game-winning play. Jordan took the in-bounds pass at midcourt, dribbled inside the arch and with a cross over move, he connected on the go-ahead shot with 2.6 seconds left.
UNCP called a timeout and would have to go the length of the court for a chance for the game-winner. But the in-bound pass was intercepted at half court by Jordan to seal the victory.
For head coach J.T. Burton, who is in his sixth year in Greeneville, he records his sixth victory over a nationally-ranked team and fourth against a top-10 opponent since taking over the program in 2016.
Both teams shot 50 percent from the field on the afternoon as TU went 24-of-28 from the floor and UNCP shot at a 26-of-52 clip. The Pioneers went 28-of-41 (68%) at the foul line including 16-of-19 in the second half (84%). The Braves went 21-of-29 at the free throw line (72%) and out-rebounded the Pioneers 35-28 on the boards.
All five of UNC Pembroke's games this season have been decided by six points or less including a total of eight points combined in its three losses to Florida Southern (87-82), No. 6 Lincoln Memorial (71-69) and Tusculum (81-80).
Tusculum will host nationally-ranked North Georgia this Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at Pioneer Arena as TU wraps up a grueling stretch of four consecutive games against teams which advanced to last year's NCAA Division II Tournament. North Georgia (3-0) is undefeated including Saturday's 78-68 win at UVA Wise.
