ST. JOSEPH, Mo. --- Top-ranked Gannon University launched a 15-8 run late in the second half to advance to the NCAA Division II Final Four for the first time in program history, rallying to a thrilling 70-66 win over the Tusculum College women's basketball team and setting an NCAA Division II record with its 37th win of the season on Tuesday night in the Elite Eight at the St. Joseph Civic Arena.
The Pioneers (23-10) won the battle on the glass by a 45-43 margin, including a 26-23 edge on the defensive boards, while holding the Golden Knights (37-0) to a 36.6 percent clip from the floor. Gannon's nationally ranked defense responded in kind, holding the Pioneers to a 35.3 percent clip from the floor, including a 2-for-14 night from beyond the arc.
Tusculum posted a season-high 94.1 percent mark at the free throw line, converting 16-of-17 attempts at the charity stripe to eclipse the 90 percent mark at the line for the first time since Feb. 14, 2009 against Carson-Newman.
Senior Kat Spears and WBCA/State Farm All-American Jasmine Gunn led all scorers with 17 points each for Tusculum, while Spears turned in a double-double in her final game with 10 boards. The 5-11 Memphis, Tenn. native also recorded three blocked shots to finish her career with 140 rejections, one shy of former teammate Stephany Neptune's program record.
Gunn became the fourth player in program history to score at least 700 points in a season, ending the campaign third on the school's single-season scoring list with 713 markers. The Daktronics Southeast Region Player of the Year also moved within 10 points of tying Carla Loyd for fourth place on the program's all-time scoring list, currently sitting fifth in school history with 1,619 career markers. Sophomore Staci Hicks led the Pioneers with 11 rebounds, while chipping in eight points. Juniors Brittni Oliver and Catherine Hintz each chipped in six points as Hintz hauled down seven rebounds.
Freshman Kendal Baxter knocked down two three-pointers to establish a single-season program- and South Atlantic Conference-record with 105 triples, eclipsing the mark previously held by Ashli Oliver, the school's all-time leader in treys. Baxter's 105 treys on the season also eclipses what is believed to be the NCAA Division II single-season mark for three-pointers by a freshman.
Fellow WBCA/State Farm All-American Kristina Freeman joined Gunn in double figures with 15 points to lead the Golden Knights. The 5-9 guard also nearly accounted for a double-double with nine rebounds, while Brittany Tarbon pulled down a game-high 13 boards for Gannon. Tiffany Crocker dished out a game-high 11 assists for the Golden Knights, as Shanna Thompson and Julie Kleber chipped in 12 and 11 points, respectively, to join Freeman in double figures.
The game proved to be a thrilling contest that came down to the final moments, as the hard-fought battle featured 11 ties and 10 lead changes. Gannon started off strong, scoring 10 of the game's first 12 points to open a 10-2 lead with 16:25 to go in the first half on a layup by Thompson. Tusculum would launch a furious rally over the next four minutes, going on a 10-0 run to take its first lead of the game at 12-10 on a three-pointer by Baxter with 12:01 remaining in the period.
The Pioneers would stretch the lead to 16-12 on a layup by Spears at the 9:11 mark before Gannon launched a quick 6-0 spurt to reclaim the advantage at 18-16 with 7:08 to go in the half. Neither team would lead by more than three points for the remainder of the period, with Gannon launching a 5-0 spurt to end the half and take a 29-26 lead into the intermission.
Tusculum continued to battle in the second half, responding to an early 11-7 Gannon spurt with a 13-5 run to retake the lead at 46-45 on a pair of free throws by Oliver. Thompson responded with a layup to put Gannon back on top, before Gunn converted a free throw and nailed a tough jumper to give the Pioneers a 49-47 lead with 7:32 to play.
The teams resumed the hard-fought battle over the next several minutes with neither squad pulling ahead by more than three points. Gannon's Carrie Nolan answered the call in the final three and a half minutes of the game, connecting on a pair of layups to keep the Golden Knights within one before Kleber knocked down a critical three-pointer to give Gannon a 60-58 lead with 2:26 to play.
Hintz pulled the Pioneers even at 60-60 with a layup 17 seconds later before Nolan capped a 5-0 Gannon spurt with a clutch three-pointer to give the Golden Knight's a 65-60 lead with 1:49 remaining. The Pioneers refused to give up, fighting back to within one at 65-64 before Gannon sealed the win with some clutch free throw shooting, ending the Pioneers' magical NCAA Tournament run.
Tusculum ends its season with a 23-10 record, having won nine straight prior to Tuesday night's loss and 14 of its last 17, including the program's first-ever Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Tournament title and the school's first-ever NCAA Division II Southeast Region Championship. The Pioneers are expected to return four of their top five scorers next season, including Gunn, the reigning SAC Player of the Year.
Spears concludes her Pioneer career second in program history in blocked shots (140) and sixth in rebounding (614), while holding the single-game school-record for blocked shots with seven rejections against Francis Marion on Dec. 18, 2009.The 5-11 forward also ends her Tusculum tenure with 830 points, 109 steals, and a 48.0 percent career field goal percentage, which ranks 12th in program history.
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