The Pioneers (2-4) trailed by a dozen early in the second half, but used an 11-0 run over a span of 4:43 to take its first lead of the night at 51-49 with 10 minutes remaining in the game. TC would later up its advantage to 59-55 with 5:47 left, but the Bobcats (3-1) would close out the game with an 11-2 spurt to snap a five-game losing skid to Tusculum and its first win over the Pioneers since 1999.
Tusculum sophomore JD Miller posted a career-high 21 points, shooting 10-of-12 from floor, while making his first nine field goal attempts of the night. Senior Rob Troutman added 14 points and a career-best eight assists, while junior Tommy Klempin accounted for seven markers and a career-high 10 rebounds in the loss.
LMC’s Tevin Friday and Daniel Sepokas scored 14 points each, while Matt Eller and Reshon Benjamin recorded nine and seven points, respectively.
The Bobcats led throughout the opening half and carried a 40-30 lead into the intermission after shooting 60 percent from the floor, including a sizzling 7-of-11 from three-point territory (63.6%).
The Tusculum defense clamped down on Lees-McRae in the second half, as the Pioneers would chip away at the deficit. LMC enjoyed its largest lead at 42-30 at the 19:34 mark of the half, but Miller kept up the offensive push connecting on three field straight field goals to open the period, including a three-point play with 17:23 left on the clock as TC trailed by five at 43-38.
LMC’s Benjamin made a lay-up to move the Bobcats back to a 49-40 advantage with 14:57 left. Miller made a jumper in the lane to ignite a Tusculum 11-0 spurt that also consisted of back-to-back three-pointers from Troutman and a lay-up from Klempin as the Pioneers led 51-49 at the 10:01 mark.
The Bobcats recaptured the lead with a driving lay-up from Friday, but the Pioneers followed with a 6-2 run that included a trey from redshirt freshman Ryan Slusher and a bucket by sophomore Dionte Grey as TC led by four (59-55) with under six minutes remaining. Slusher also accounted for a pair of steals on defense to spark the TC run.
Lees-McRae scored eight unanswered points over the next two minutes, including a pair of baskets by Friday and two Adam McFerran free throws as the Bobcats regained the lead at 63-59 with 3:44 left.
Grey cut the deficit in half to 63-61 with his lay-up with 2:53 remaining. The Bobcats went cold, both from the field (1-of-3) and the free throw line (1-of-4) in the final moments, but Tusculum could not take advantage as the Pioneers missed their final four shots of the night.
Friday shot 6-of-7 from the field for the Bobcats, but fired only 2-of-9 from the foul line.
Lees-McRae finished the game shooting 56.4 percent from the field, while the Pioneers shot 48 percent from the floor. TC edged LMC 26-25 on the boards including 10-6 on the offensive glass, resulting in 13 second-chance points for the Pioneers.
Tusculum returns to action on Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. when the Pioneers host Saint Catharine College at Pioneer Arena.
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