NEWBERRY, S.C. --- Trenton Gibson posted a game-high 20 points in leading the Tusculum Pioneers to a 73-55 South Atlantic Conference road win at Newberry College Saturday afternoon at Eleazer Arena.
The Pioneers (14-6, 14-4 SAC) complete the season-sweep over the Wolves (10-10, 10-8 SAC) while also recording its fourth consecutive road victory.
TU has won nine of its last 11 games and improves to 8-2 on the road this season. The eight road wins are the most during the NCAA Division II era of the program (1998-present) and are tied for the third most away victories in school history (1992-93 team holds the record with 10 road wins).
Gibson scored 13 of his 20 markers in the first half as he finished the game with six rebounds, three assists and a pair of steals. Justin Mitchell accounted for 13 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals, while Inady Legiste was perfect 6-of-6 from the floor for his dozen points. James West IV rounded out the double-digit scorers for Tusculum with his 11 points including three 3-pointers.
On Saturday, Tusculum led throughout the entire game and used a 14-2 run in the final eight minutes of the first half to take a 38-19 lead into the locker room. The Pioneers shot a sizzling 16-of-26 from the floor (61.5%) including 5-of-8 from three-point territory (62.5%). Meanwhile the Wolves were held to 26 percent shooting in the first 20 minutes including 1-of-9 to end the period.
Newberry scored the first six points of the second half including a four-point play by Devario Sheppard as the Wolves trailed 38-25 with 17:46 remaining. TU responded with a 5-0 run including a three-pointer by KJ Crump to slow down the Newberry spurt. That three nudged a 7-2 run for the visitors as TU led 48-27 with 14:34 to go.
Tusculum pushed the lead out to as much as 57-33 at the 11:46 mark of the half. The Wolves wouldn't go away as they responded with a 12-2 outburst and whittle the TU lead down to14 (59-45) with six minutes on the clock.
But that would be as close as Newberry would get as Josh Scott and Gibson answered with consecutive baskets to seal the win for Tusculum.
TU finished the game shooting a season-high 55.4 percent from the floor including 9-of-20 from beyond the arc (45%). Newberry shot 32.8 percent from the field including 3-of-17 from downtown (17.6%). The Pioneers won the rebound battle (38-31).
The Pioneers remain in third place in the conference standings and clinch a berth in next month's SAC Tournament.
Gibson continued his climb up the TU scoring ladder with his 25th career 20-point game. His 1,520 career points are the ninth-most in school history as he moves past Paul Minton (1500 from 1969-1973) and Stacy Carden (1516 from 1989-1993) on the Tusculum points list.
Tusculum returns home to host cross-mountain rival Mars Hill University for a 7:30 p.m. contest at Pioneer Arena. TU won last month's first meeting 69-61 at Mars Hill.
