GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- With its non-conference schedule behind it, the Tusculum University women's basketball team heads into its winter break with a busy schedule of three games in a span of six days to end the 2021 portion of its slate.

The Pioneers (3-7, 1-5 SAC) host Newberry College on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at Pioneer Arena, then travel to Lenoir-Rhyne University on Saturday at 2 p.m. before wrapping up December with a visit to Wingate University for a matinee next Monday at 3 p.m.

Tusculum claimed its first win over a top-five opponent in nine years on Wednesday with a 54-38 upset of fourth-ranked North Georgia at Pioneer Arena, then dropped an 84-56 decision at sixth-ranked Lander on Saturday in the Pioneers' final two non-conference contests of the season. The Pioneers went 2-2 out of conference as part of a schedule that featured three nationally-ranked teams.

RECAPPING THE WEEK
Tusculum pulled off its biggest upset in nearly a decade as the Pioneers stunned fourth-ranked University of North Georgia 54-38 Wednesday evening at Pioneer Arena. Mya Belton recorded her second straight double-double with game highs of 16 points and 11 rebounds, freshman Lexi Patty scored a season-high 15 points and the Pioneer defense limited the Nighthawks to 23.1 percent shooting (12-for-52) for the game. Tusculum went on an 18-0 run in the first half and an 11-0 surge in the third quarter after North Georgia had cut an 18-point Pioneer lead to one.

Tusculum beat a top-five team for the first time since a 69-55 victory at fourth-ranked Rollins on Nov. 23, 2012. It was the Pioneers' first home win over a ranked team since beating 25th-ranked Newberry 75-54 on Jan. 21, 2019, and was the highest-ranked team Tusculum has ever defeated at Pioneer Arena. Tusculum has defeated a ranked opponent in each of the last four seasons.

The Pioneers earned the victory as Patty went 6-for-9 from the field and drilled a pair of three-pointers in her first career start to surpass her season high of 11 set against Queens on Dec. 1. Belton, who had 13 points and 11 rebounds against Lincoln Memorial, scored 10 of her 16 points in the second half on 4-for-6 shooting.

Makaila Cange and Zamiya Passmore each scored 22 points to lift sixth-ranked Lander University to an 84-56 victory over Tusculum on Saturday afternoon at Finis Horne Arena.

The Bearcats forced the Pioneers into 27 turnovers, which they converted into 33 points. Belton led the shorthanded Pioneers with 12 points and seven rebounds and Deidre Cheremond matched her season high with 11 points to go along with a career-best nine rebounds. Patty added eight points and five rebounds as Tusculum finished the game at 35.5 percent (22-for-62) from the field and 5-for-11 from the foul line.

PROFILING THE PIONEERS
Belton has scored in double figures in four straight games and in seven of the Pioneers' 10 games this season. She recorded back-to-back double-doubles against Lincoln Memorial (13 pts/11 reb) and North Georgia (16 pts/11 reb) and leads the Pioneers in scoring (11.8 ppg), rebounding (7.8 rpg) and blocked shots (14). She ranks eighth in the SAC in rebounding average and is the only player in the SAC averaging more than 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks per game.

Guard Jalia Arnwine sat out both games last week against North Georgia and Lander, and continues to rank second on the team in scoring at 11.0 points per game and is second in three-pointers with 14. Guard Jordan Rogers has moved up to third on the team in scoring at 9.1 points per game, and ranks eighth in the SAC in free throws per game (3.0) and sixth in free throw attempts per game (4.4).

Forward Chloe Warrington is fourth in the SAC in three-point percentage (45.9 percent, 17-for-37) and leads the Pioneers with 17 three-pointers. Warrington has made at least one three-pointer in eight of the Pioneers' 10 games.

Patty made her first two career starts against North Georgia and Lander and shot 10-for-16 (62.5 percent) from the field in the two games. The freshman is up to 4.7 points per game and is shooting 59.4 percent (19-for-32) from the field in nine games for the Pioneers.

The Pioneers expect to have forward Brianna Dixon available for the first time this season against Newberry. Dixon averaged 10.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game last season and was an honorable mention All-SAC selection. The Decatur, Georgia native was fifth in the SAC in minutes per game a year ago at 36.3.

Tusculum ranks 12th in the SAC in scoring average at 58.2 points per game, and 12th in both free throws made per game (8.5) and attempted (12.8). The Pioneers are fourth in the conference in scoring defense (62.6 ppg) and are second in opponent shooting defense at 37.1 percent. Tusculum has drilled 7.1 three-pointers per game, good for third in the league.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
Newberry (2-7, 2-5 SAC) enters Wednesday's game having lost five of its last six, including a 77-73 setback at home to Carson-Newman on Saturday. In that game, the Wolves shot a season-high 47.5 percent and drilled 13 three-pointers, but turned the ball over 25 times as the Eagles erased an eight-point deficit in the fourth quarter. Junior guard Courtney Virgo led the Wolves with 17 points and five rebounds while junior guard Giulia Bongiorno had 13 points and seven assists in the loss.

Senior guard Talia Roberts leads Newberry in scoring at 11.3 points per game, all coming off the bench. Roberts had 14 against Carson-Newman and has double figures in three of her four games played this season. Bongiorno averages 8.6 points per game and junior center Tyla Stolberg is at 7.6 points and 4.9 rebounds per contest.

Newberry leads the SAC in offensive rebounds per game (18.6) in part due to ranking last in field-goal percentage (33.0 percent), and next-to-last in both three-point percentage (25.8 percent) and free-throw percentage (63.1 percent). The Wolves are last in the SAC in turnovers at 23.1 per game, and in scoring offense at 57.9 points per game. Newberry's defense is second in three-point percentage allowed at 26.2 percent.

The Pioneers beat the Wolves twice last season, winning 72-50 on the road on Dec. 5 and 59-43 at home in the SAC quarterfinals. Tusculum leads the all-time series by a 29-24 margin, with wins in six of the last eight meetings.

Lenoir-Rhyne (2-5, 1-4 SAC) hosts Anderson on Wednesday before welcoming the Pioneers to Shuford Memorial Gymnasium on Saturday. The Bears begin the week on a three-game losing streak, all on the road, including a 55-44 setback at Catawba on Saturday. Against the Indians, the Bears shot 47.2 percent from the field but committed 29 turnovers.

Three players average in double figures for the Bears, led by sophomore guard Emily Harman at 13.7 points per game. Freshman forward Maddie Dillinger is averaging 12.4 points and a team-high 7.9 rebounds per game, while junior forward Brandi Hudson is at 12.1 points and 5.6 rebounds per contest.

The Bears are last in the SAC in field goal attempts per game (54.1) and three-point attempts per game (14.1). Lenoir-Rhyne leads the SAC in foul shooting at 75.9 percent, but ranks next to last in field goal defense (40.7 percent) and three-point defense (35.8 percent).

Tusculum swept Lenoir-Rhyne last season, winning 67-44 at home on Dec. 12 and 61-54 on the road on Jan. 30 to extend their winning streak over the Bears to eight consecutive games. The Pioneers lead the all-time series over the Bears by a 28-23 margin.

Wingate (7-1, 6-0 SAC) entered the week with seven straight wins following an 89-85 loss to Francis Marion in their season opener on Nov. 12. The Bulldogs face Queens and Mars Hill prior to the Monday matchup with the Pioneers. On Saturday, Wingate beat Augusta 68-63 in a non-conference game as five scored in double figures for the Bulldogs and Haleigh Brandon grabbed 20 rebounds and blocked four shots.

Junior forward Bryanna Troutman is fifth in the SAC in scoring at 16.8 points per game and averages 7.3 rebounds per contest. Troutman is second in the league in field goal percentage at 56.8 percent and scored in double figures in seven of her first eight games, including 30 against Limestone on Dec. 1.

Junior guard Hannah Clark is at 11.3 points per game and is shooting 56.3 percent (9-for-16) from three-point range, with junior guard Jaia Wilson at 10.3 points per game and 52.3 percent (10-for-19) beyond the arc. Sophomore guard Lauren Sullivan also averages double figures at 10.0 points per game, while Brandon averages 8.9 points and a conference-leading 12.9 rebounds per contest.

As a team, Wingate enters the week leading the SAC in field goal percentage (48.2 percent), three-point percentage (41.9 percent) and assists per game (18.9), while ranking second in points per game (76.3), free throw percentage (73.5 percent) and rebound margin (plus-8.5 per game).

The teams have gone more than a year since their last meeting, a 63-52 Tusculum win at home on Nov. 21, 2020 which cut the Wingate lead in the all-time series to 34-15.

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.

FOLLOW THE PIONEERS
Fans can watch the action of Tusculum women's basketball all season at 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.