JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. --- Backup guard Abby Wilson hit her first six three-point attempts and finished with a career high 18 points to lead Carson-Newman University to an 82-66 victory over Tusculum University in South Atlantic Conference women's basketball action Wednesday evening at Holt Fieldhouse.
Wilson, who entered the game averaging 3.2 points per game and shooting 25.6 percent (11-for-43) from three-point range for the season, sank two three-pointers in the first quarter, two in the third and two more in the first 90 seconds of the fourth for the Eagles (18-4, 15-3 SAC), who outrebounded the Pioneers 43-31 and placed five players in double figures. Wilson finished the game 6-for-8 from beyond the arc in 22 minutes to reach double figures for the first time this season.
Mya Belton led the Pioneers (7-13, 5-11 SAC) 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.
Joining Wilson in double figures for the Eagles were Lindsey Taylor with 17 points and six rebounds, Harli Smith with 14 points and seven boards, Campbell Penland with 13 points and Braelyn Wykle with 12. Wykle shot 3-for-14 from the field but had four assists and four steals to lead all players for the Eagles.
Tusculum came out firing in the opening quarter, hitting five three-pointers in eight attempts including a perfect 3-for-3 from Walker from beyond the arc. Carson-Newman led 8-2 after three minutes on back-to-back threes from Penland, but the Pioneers cut the margin to 11-8 with 5:21 to play in the period. The Eagles took their largest lead of the quarter at 16-8 on a three-pointer from Wilson with 4:12 left, but a three-point play from Arnwine and three straight three-pointers from Walker, Lexi Patty and Chloe Warrington brought Tusculum within 21-20 after one quarter.
After an exchange of baskets by the Eagles' Smith and the Pioneers' Patty, the Eagles went up 26-22 on a three-point play by Wykle with 8:28 left in the half. Tusculum tied the game at 28-28 with 7:00 to go as three-pointers from Dixon and Belton sandwiched a jumper by Wykle. After the Eagles went up 32-29 on two free throws from Addison Byrd with 3:23 remaining, the Pioneers pulled back within a point at 32-31 on a layup by Jordan Rogers with 3:00 to go. From there, the Eagles ran off the final nine points of the half to go up 41-31 at halftime.
Walker led the Pioneers with nine points on 3-for-3 shooting in the first half, with six points for Arnwine and five off the bench by Patty. The Pioneers shot 39.3 percent (11-for-28) from the field in the half but went 7-for-16 from the three-point line. Wykle paced the Eagles with 10 points on 3-for-9 shooting in the opening half, with Penland adding eight. Carson-Newman shot 46.9 percent (15-for-32) from the field and outrebounded Tusculum 24-10 in the half.
Tusculum trimmed the Carson-Newman lead to 45-38 on two foul shots by Dixon with 6:46 left in the third quarter, but the Eagles responded with six straight points to go ahead 51-38 on a three-pointer from Penland with 5:16 to play in the period. A three-pointer from Wilson stretched the Carson-Newman lead to 56-42 with 4:06 left, but the Eagles would go nearly 3 1/2 minutes without a point as the Pioneers crept back within 56-49 on two free throws by Belton with 54 seconds left in the period. A Wilson three would snap the Eagles' drought with 43 seconds left, but a putback by Arnwine beat the buzzer as Tusculum cut the Carson-Newman lead to 59-51 after three.
The Eagles scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter to take a 66-51 lead on a Taylor layup with 9:00 left. Tusculum broke through in the fourth on a Belton three-pointer to bring the Pioneers within 66-54, but seven more points from the Eagles stretched the Carson-Newman lead to 73-54 with 6:29 to play. The Eagles took their largest lead at 82-60 on a three-pointer by Smith with 52 seconds left, but the Pioneers got threes from Warrington and Natalia Crooke in the final 45 seconds to set the final score.
Warrington scored six points off the bench for the Pioneers while Patty had five points and four rebounds in 21 minutes of playing time. Byrd and Skylar Boshears each had four points off the bench for Carson-Newman, who received their 82 points from a total of seven players. Byrd finished with a game-high nine rebounds in 23 minutes for the Eagles.
Carson-Newman went 16-for-22 (72.7 percent) from the foul line as a team while Tusculum was 13-for-21 (61.9 percent) from the stripe. Carson-Newman turned the ball over 19 times which led to 15 points for the Pioneers, while the Eagles managed just six points off 16 Pioneer miscues.
Tusculum will play the second of three consecutive road games on Saturday at Newberry, beginning at 2 p.m. The Wolves pulled off a 74-64 upset of 16th-ranked Wingate at home on Wednesday night, snapping the Bulldogs' 18-game winning streak and handing Wingate its first conference loss after 16 victories this season. The Wolves (7-13, 7-10 SAC) lost 71-61 at Pioneer Arena on Dec. 15 and have lost three in a row at home to the Pioneers.
