GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Chase Mounce scored 20 points to lead five Tusculum College players in double figures as the Pioneers defeated visiting Coker College 89-78 Saturday night in South Atlantic Conference men's basketball action.
The Pioneers (3-14, 3-9 SAC) used an 18-4 run in the second half to secure back-to-back victories for the first time since the end of the 2011-2012 campaign. Tusculum also wins at Pioneer Arena for the first time since Jan. 22, 2014, snapping a 12-game losing streak at home.
TC junior Javon Price accounted for 17 points, including five 3-poitners, while sophomore Zach Davis contributed 16 points off the bench. Junior Matt Shown tallied 11 points and a game-high 12 rebounds for his fifth double-double in his last six games. Sophomore Cory Fagan added 10 markers, while senior guard Mason Fox posted six points and eight assists in the victory.
Coker senior Errick Bethel, the conference's leading scorer, lived up to the billing, leading all players with 25 points, including six 3-pointers. Sophomore Donte Samuels added 21 markers, including 14 in the second half.
In the first half, the lead changed hands nine times, while the game was also deadlocked on five occasions, including at the end of 20 minutes with the score tied 42-42 at the intermission.
With the Pioneers lead 52-50 with 15:24 left in the game, TC went on an 8-2 run over the next 2:04 to take a 60-52 lead. The run was sparked by a Shown three-point play and a Price trifecta.
The Cobras (7-9, 6-6 SAC) scored five unanswered points, all on the shoulders of Bethel as Coker trimmed the deficit to 60-57 with 12:19 remaining.
Mounce answered with a 5-0 run of his own to push the TC lead back to eight (65-57) with 10:32 to go.
With TC leading 69-62, the Cobras made a strong charge with a 6-1 spurt, all thanks to Samuels as the visitors trailed 70-68 with 7:08 left.
But Tusculum erupted for an 18-4 run over the next 5:17, including nine consecutive points to take its largest lead of the night at 88-72 with 1:51 remaining. During the run, Tusculum made five consecutive field goals, including two 3-pointers by Fagan and Price's fifth trey of the day to put the game out of reach.
Mounce finished the game shooting 9-of-12 from the floor, hauled in nine rebounds, blocked two shots and dished out a career-high five assists. Price fired 5-9 from beyond the arch, while Fagan shot 3-of-5 from long-range.
TC freshman Connor Mitchell came off the bench with another strong outing with four points, five rebounds and two blocked shots.
The Pioneers shot 56 percent from the field, including 11-of-19 from three-point territory (58%). Tusculum also dished out a season high 23 assists on their 29 made field goals.
The Cobras finished the contest shooting 40.3 percent from the floor, including 13-of-35 in the second half.
The Pioneers out-rebounded Coker by a 39-32 margin, but the Cobras hauled in 11 offensive boards, resulting into 14 second chance points for the visitors.
Tusculum is back in action this Wednesday night when the Pioneers host cross-mountain rival Mars Hill University for an 8 p.m. contest. TC is hosting a canned-food drive on Wednesday as fans will be admitted free with two (2) canned-food items donated at the door.
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