GASTONIA, N.C. --- The Tusculum University women's bowling team went 1-1 to open the inaugural Conference Carolinas / Great Midwest Athletic Conference Championships Friday at Liberty Lanes.
The conference championship, which is a combined tournament with members of Conference Carolinas and the GMAC in a Best-of-7 Baker Playoff, double-elimination format.
Tusculum, the No. 2 seed in the tournament, dropped a 4-1 decision to No. 5 seed Kentucky Wesleyan in a Best-of-7 Baker Playoff. TU won the first game 169-156 over the Panthers, but KWC won the next four games including a 202-165 decision in the fifth and deciding game.
Tusculum bounced back with a thrilling 4-3 win in round two over sixth-seeded Belmont Abbey. TU opened with 217-173 win in the first game, but the Crusaders responded by winning three in a row to take a 3-1 lead. TU answered with a 177-148 win in the fifth game and edged out a 172-168 victory in the sixth, setting up the seventh and deciding game. The Pioneers won the final contest 171-159 to eliminate the host Crusaders.
The Pioneers will have a rematch against Kentucky Wesleyan in an elimination match beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday. The winner of the TU / KWC match will face the loser of Saturday's winners' bracket final between top-seed Lincoln Memorial and No. 3 seed Emmanuel.
The championship will be contested on Sunday morning beginning at 8 a.m.
Conference Carolinas / Great Midwest Athletic Conference Championship
Friday, March 25, 2022
Round 1
Match 1: No. 1 Lincoln Memorial 4, No. 6 Belmont Abbey 3
Match 2: No. 5 Kentucky Wesleyan 4, No. 2 Tusculum 2
Match 3: No. 3 Emmanuel 4, No. 4 Walsh 2
Round 2
Match 4: No. 2 Tusculum 4, No. 6 Belmont Abbey 3 (Belmont Abbey eliminated)
Match 5: No. 3 Emmanuel 4, No. 5 Kentucky Wesleyan 2
Match 6: No. 1 Lincoln Memorial 4, No. 4 Walsh 1 (Walsh eliminated)
Saturday, March 26, 2022
Round 3
Match 7: No. 2 Tusculum vs No. 5 Kentucky Wesleyan, 8:30 a.m.
Match 8: No. 1 Lincoln Memorial vs No. 3 Emmanuel, 8:30 a.m.
Round 4
Match 9: Loser Match 8 vs Winner Match 9, 10 a.m.
Sunday, March 27, 2022
Round 5 & 6
Match 10: Winner Match 8 vs Winner Match 9, 8 a.m.
