JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. --- Cory Fagan scored a career-high 28 points, including seven 3-pointers to lead the Tusculum College men's basketball team to a thrilling 91-90 South Atlantic Conference win over arch-rival Carson-Newman University Wednesday night at Holt Fieldhouse.

The Pioneers (2-14, 2-9 SAC) snap a 10-game losing streak and post their first win over the Eagles (6-9, 5-6 SAC) in Jefferson City since Jan. 12, 2011. TC has won two of the last three meetings over Carson-Newman and avenge November's 73-68 setback to the Eagles in the SAC opener.

Fagan shot a blistering 9-of-12 from the floor, including 7-of-10 from three-point territory. Sophomore Zach Davis contributed 18 points off the bench, but it was at the free throw stripe where he shined going 10-of-12 on the night and made a pair of critical charity tosses with 4.6 seconds remaining to give Tusculum a 91-88 lead.

Javon Price tallied 12 points, while junior Matt Shown posted his fourth double-double in his last five outings with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Senior guard Mason Fox recorded his first collegiate double-double with 10 points and a career-high 11 assists.

Tusculum's leading scorer Chase Mounce suffered early foul trouble, but was still able to post eight points and five rebounds in the victory.

C-N's Carson Brooks led the Eagles with 23 points and 10 rebounds as he went 10-of-15 from the floor. Sawyer Williams and Jared Williams contributed 16 points apiece, while Mason Bates added 15 points in the loss.

Both teams shot an identical 31-of-57 from the floor for 54.4 percent. TC went 10-of-24 from beyond the arc (42%) and edged the Eagles on the glass, 31-30.

Carson-Newman jumped out to an early lead at 15-12 with 13:54 left in the first half, but the Pioneers answered with an 8-0 run, including a Shown jumper and three-pointers by Fox and Fagan as TC led 20-15 at the 11:07 mark of the period.

The Eagles tied the game at 23-23 following a jumper in the paint by Williams with 7:41 left before halftime.

With the score tied 25-25, the Pioneers finished off the period with a 17-12 run to take a 42-37 lead into the locker room.

The Pioneers would never relinquish the lead in the second half, but had to fend off numerous Carson-Newman charges.

C-N opened the second half with a 10-6 run to trim the TC lead to 48-47 four minutes into the period following four straight free throws by Williams.

Four straight points by Price increased Tusculum's lead to 52-47, but a three-point play by Bates trimmed the deficit to two (52-50) with 14:32 to go.

TC responded with an 8-2 run, sparked by back-to-back treys from Price as TC led 60-52 with 11:55 remaining.

After a media timeout, here came the Eagles again as Bates canned a three-pointer, while Jared Johnson converted a three-point play at the 11:02 mark as Tusculum led 60-58.

Leading 62-61 the Pioneers went on its biggest run of the night scoring 10 unanswered in a span of 2:35 as Tusculum took its largest lead of the contest at 72-61. Fagan made a pair of treys, while Davis went 4-of-4 at the charity stripe.

C-N trimmed the deficit to 72-65 thanks to a Williams' layup, but a three-point play by Shown, two Connor Mitchell free throws and a Fagan three-pointer pushed the Tusculum advantage back to 11 at 80-69 with 5:15 remaining.

But the home team wouldn't go away as C-N used a 7-2 spark to trailed 82-76 with 2:10 to go.

Davis converted on a reverse layup with 1:43 left to give TC an eight-point cushion at 84-76, but back came the Eagles. Ryan Jones converted one of two free throws to trail 84-77, but on TC's next possession, Davis missed a dunk as C-N came down with the rebound.

C-N's Jay Lane was fouled sending him to the line as he made one of two free throws, but on the in bounds pass, Tusculum turned the ball over as Lane was fouled again as he made both free throw tries to cut the TC lead 84-80 with 55 seconds remaining.

Davis was fouled on the in-bounds attempt as he made his two free throws to give TC an 86-80 lead.

Charles Clark converted a layup nine seconds later to trim the deficit to 86-82 with 46 seconds left. Clark would come up with the steal at mid-court, but Fagan would block his layup try and came up with the rebound with 33 seconds left and was fouled.

Fagan made one of the two free throws to give TC an 87-82 advantage. C-N would come up empty on their next possession and Davis came down with the rebound and was fouled. Davis would miss both free throws as the Eagles still had life as Brooks converted a layup and was fouled with 12 seconds left. Brooks made the free throw as the TC lead stood at 87-85.

Fagan was fouled again as he made his two tries to give Tusculum an 89-85 lead with 11 seconds to go. On C-N's next possession, Jared Johnson banked in a three-pointer with 7.6 seconds left to cut the Tusculum lead to one (89-88).

Davis, who missed his two previous free throw tries, was fouled by the Eagles. After a C-N timeout, Davis calmly went to the line and made both free throws for a 91-88 lead with 4.6 seconds left.

Jared Johnson got off a three-point try that was off the mark, which was tipped in by Clark at the buzzer for the two-point basket, as Tusculum held on for the victory.

Mitchell scored his first points of his collegiate career as he finished with four points, four rebounds and three steals in his 17 minutes of play.

The 91 points by the Pioneers were a season-high for Tusculum. The 91 points were also the most points given up by a Carson-Newman team since 2012 (90 vs. Anderson).

Tusculum returns home for the first time in two weeks on Saturday when the Pioneers host Coker College for a 4 p.m. contest.

- TC -