GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- In the midst of their first and only scheduled three-game week of the season, the Tusculum University women's basketball team seeks to gain momentum as the 2021-22 season heads toward its final three weeks.
The Pioneers shrugged off back-to-back road losses to Carson-Newman and Newberry by blasting Mars Hill 97-49 Monday night at Mars Hill, a game in which Tusculum set a program record for three-pointers with 20 and established season highs for points, field goals (36), assists (27), steals (15) and forced turnovers (29).
At 8-14 overall and 6-12 in the South Atlantic Conference, the Pioneers enter Wednesday's action a game and a half behind Lincoln Memorial and UVA Wise for the eighth and final spot in the SAC Women's Basketball Championship tournament.
Tusculum hosts Mars Hill in the back end of their home-and-home on Wednesday evening, then travels to Limestone to take on the fifth-place Saints on Saturday afternoon. The Pioneers have the third-easiest remaining schedule in the SAC, based on opponent winning percentage, at .377. Tusculum's slate is 20th-easiest in Division II, and trails only UVA Wise (12th) and Coker (18th) in the conference.
RECAPPING THE WEEK
The Pioneers fell at Carson-Newman 82-66 last Wednesday night as backup guard Abby Wilson hit her first six three-point attempts and scored a career-high 18 points for the Eagles, who outrebounded the Pioneers 43-31 and placed five players in double figures.
Mya Belton led the Pioneers with 17 points and eight rebounds, while Jalia Arnwine added 14 points for Tusculum, which shot 33.3 percent (21-for-63) from the field. Brianna Dixon and Alyssa Walker each added nine points for the Pioneers, who went 11-for-36 from three-point range and gave up 17 second-chance points to the Eagles off 12 offensive rebounds.
On Saturday, Newberry used a late third-quarter run to take the lead for good and defeat Tusculum 52-45 at Eleazer Arena. The Wolves (8-13, 8-10 SAC), who won their fifth straight home game and snapped a three-game home losing streak to the Pioneers by holding Tusculum to 27.9 percent (17-for-61) from the field and 5-for-31 from three-point range in the game.
Arnwine led the Pioneers with 15 points and Belton added 11 points, nine rebounds and a season-high four steals, but Tusculum went scoreless for four minutes spanning the third and fourth quarters as Newberry went on an 8-0 run to turn a 35-33 deficit into a 41-35 lead. The Pioneers forced the Wolves into 21 turnovers, but converted the miscues into just 14 points in a game that featured five ties and 12 lead changes.
On Monday, Tusculum opened the game with 15 consecutive points and connected on a school-record 20 three-pointers in a 97-49 victory at Mars Hill. Five players reached double figures for the Pioneers, who scored 39 points off 29 Lion turnovers and outscored the Lions 54-26 in the second half after leading by 20 at intermission.
Belton finished with 19 points and eight rebounds, Dixon contributed 19 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, and Arnwine chipped in with 17 points. Nine different players hit a three-pointer for the Pioneers, with Arnwine's team-high five threes making her the third player in program history to reach 200 career treys.
PROFILING THE PIONEERS
Arnwine has regained the team lead in scoring average at 13.6 points per game. She has scored in double figures in seven straight games and 15 of the last 16, and continues to lead the SAC in minutes per game at 35.6 despite playing a season-low 26 minutes at Mars Hill on Monday. Her 47 three-pointers are fourth in the conference and are seven shy of her career high of 54 threes in a season, set last season.
Dixon returned to double figures in scoring against Mars Hill with 19 points after being held to nine points at Carson-Newman and six points at Newberry. Dixon went 7-for-17 from the field (41.2 percent) against Mars Hill, tying her season high for field goal percentage in a game. At the foul line, Dixon is shooting 83.3 percent (15-for-18) over the past five games and 82.7 percent (43-for-52) for the season. Dixon leads the Pioneers in assists with 3.4 per game and is third in rebounding at 4.9 per game, while ranking second on the team in scoring at 13.1 per contest.
Belton has scored in double figures in four straight games and 14 of the last 16 contests. She has not hit double figures in rebounds in the last four games, but remains second in the conference in rebounding at 9.1 per game. Her scoring average of 12.8 points per game is third on the team, and Belton continues to be the only player in the SAC with more than one block (1.4 per game, 6th in SAC) and one steal (1.5 per game) per game this season.
Junior guard Sophie Henry has scored in six of the seven games she has played since returning from injury on Jan. 15 against Coker. Over that span, Henry is averaging 2.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.6 steals in 28.3 minutes per game. Henry has recorded a steal in each of her last nine games, including a career-high seven against Mars Hill on Monday, and ranks sixth in the SAC in steals per game at 2.06.
Tusculum's 20 three-pointers against Mars Hill broke the school single-game record of 19 set in a 111-59 win at Mars Hill last season. The 19 threes in last year's game broke the record of 18, set in a 94-59 win at Mars Hill on Jan. 8, 2020. The 20 three-pointers are tied for the most in an NCAA Division II game this season with Southwestern Oklahoma (vs. Arkansas Tech on Jan. 20) and with SAC rival Lincoln Memorial, who hit 20 threes against...Mars Hill on Jan. 15.
The Pioneers are 10th in the SAC in scoring offense at 60.6 points per game, and fourth in scoring defense at 60.6 points per game. Tusculum has scored and allowed exactly 1,334 points through its first 22 games. The Pioneers are third in the SAC in three-pointers per game at 7.7 (38th in Division II) and third in field goal defense at 37.4 percent. Tusculum's last seven victories have all come by double figures, and the Pioneers are 1-7 in games decided by eight points or less.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
The Lions (1-19, 1-17 SAC) have lost their last 11 games, all by double figures, since a 61-59 home victory over Lincoln Memorial on Dec. 11. Mars Hill is 0-9 in road games and has lost their last seven road contests by an average margin of 33.7 points per game.
Grad student De'Ja Marshall was a preseason first-team All-SAC selection and is averaging team bests of 15.3 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. Marshall has scored in double figures in 13 of the last 14 games, including 28 against Limestone on Jan. 31. Freshman guard Maddie Gillie averages 11.8 points per game and is seventh in the SAC with 42 three-pointers. Senior forward Zanah Boyd was averaging 11.6 points through 12 games before leaving the Lions' Jan. 8 game at Newberry after seven minutes.
Mars Hill is last in the SAC in scoring offense (54.1 ppg), scoring defense (80.3 ppg), scoring margin (minus-26.2 ppg), field goal shooting (.325), field goal defense (.454), assists per game (8.1) and blocks per game (1.7). The Lions are seventh in turnovers forced per game (16.35) and rank sixth in the SAC with 259 made foul shots.
Tusculum's 97-49 win over Mars Hill on Monday night was the ninth in a row for the Pioneers over the Lions. The Pioneers have broken 90 points in six of those nine wins, and are outscoring the Lions by an average score of 89-49. Mars Hill's last win over Tusculum came at Pioneer Arena on Feb. 22, 2017 by a 69-68 score. The Pioneers lead the all-time series 30-25, including 15-10 at home.
Limestone (12-7, 9-7 SAC) enters the week with three consecutive victories, including an 81-66 win at Lenoir-Rhyne on Saturday. The Saints, who host Wingate on Wednesday night before welcoming Tusculum on Saturday, are in sole possession of fifth place in the SAC and will remain there regardless of Wednesday's result with Wingate.
Senior guard Quin Byrd is the leading scorer for Limestone at 17.4 points per game, which ranks fifth in the conference. Byrd, a second-team preseason All-SAC pick, is coming off an 18-point performance at Lenoir-Rhyne on Saturday after her sixth 20-point game of the year against Coker last Wednesday, when she went for 22 points in a 67-51 win.
Sophomore guard Reagan Kargo averages 14.4 points per game to rank 11th in the SAC, and she leads the conference in foul shooting at 92.5 percent (62-for-67) with a streak of 16 in a row. Graduate guard Reagan McCray averages 13.1 points per game and is third in the SAC with 55 made three-pointers in 138 attempts (39.9 percent). Freshman forward Kalisha Hill leads the Saints in rebounding at 5.2 per game and is averaging 9.2 points per contest.
Limestone ranks fourth in the conference in scoring at 70.8 points per game and eighth in defense at 67.0 points per contest. The Saints are second in SAC play in fewest turnovers, committing just 14.6 per game. Limestone is third in conference play in three-point shooting at 34.2 percent and in three-point defense at 28.4 percent.
Saturday's game will be the fourth all-time meeting between the Pioneers and Saints, with the road teams having won all three previous contests. Tusculum won the first two matchups at Limestone in 1984 and 2020, while Limestone picked up an 80-61 win at Pioneer Arena on Nov. 23.
TICKETS
Admission for 2021-22 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 women's basketball all season at www.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.
