GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Seven months ago, Tusculum College dropped a heartbreaking 70-66 decision to Gannon University in the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Elite Eight. Since then, anticipation for the start of the 2010-2011 season has grown as the season opener approached.
A pair of exhibition victories, including a 59-51 win at Division I East Tennessee State, have prepared the Pioneers for the start of their regular season this weekend with two games at the Lady Bearcat D-2 Tip-Off Classic in Greenwood, S.C. beginning at 7:30 p.m. Saturday night against host Lander and concluding Sunday at 2 p.m. against USC-Aiken.
Tusculum enters the season ranked third in the USA Today/ESPN Division II Poll, while Lander is ranked fourth and USC-Aiken is receiving votes in the survey. The Pioneers were a unanimous pick to win the South Atlantic Conference championship, while in the Peach Belt Conference Lander is the preseason favorites and USC-Aiken was ranked fifth.
Saturday's game against Lander is a rematch of last year's NCAA Division II Southeast Regional championship game, which the Pioneers won 70-63 to advance to the Elite Eight for the first time in program history. The Lady Bearcats return all 12 players from that squad, which finished 27-4 overall and made its third straight trip to the NCAA Division II Tournament. Senior center Shannon McKever averaged 14.4 points and 9.3 rebounds per game for the Lady Bearcats last season, while blocking 2.97 shots per game.
USC Aiken finished 15-13 overall and 10-8 in the Peach Belt Conference last season, and junior Hannah DeGraffinreed is the top returning scorer for the Pacers, having averaged 10.1 points and 6.0 rebounds per game last season.
Tusculum finished 23-10 overall last season and 10-6 in the league, then won six straight postseason games to earn the SAC Tournament and Southeast Regional championships. The Pioneers face a strong schedule this season, with three of their first five contests against preseason nationally-ranked opponents and a total of 11 games with 2010 NCAA Division II Tournament qualifiers.
Four starters return for the Pioneers, led by reigning SAC Player of the Year Jasmine Gunn. A consensus All-American last season and the Women's Division II Bulletin Preseason National Player of the Year, the 4-11 Gunn averaged 21.6 points and 5.1 rebounds per game last season and finished eighth in Division II in scoring.
During the Pioneers' seven-game postseason run, Gunn averaged 26.7 points, 3.6 assists, and 3.4 rebounds per game. In the Southeast Region semifinals against 20th-ranked Francis Marion, Gunn scored a SAC-record 45 points on 11-of-15 shooting, and set NCAA II Tournament records for free throws made (23) and attempted (29). Gunn scored 20 points or more on 19 occasions, reaching 30 points five times in addition to her 45-point playoff performance. She also recorded the program's first triple-double and established program and conference records with 216 free throws made.
Gunn enters her senior season ranked fifth in school history with 1,619 career points and is currently ranked in the top 10 in nine categories in the program record book, including assists per game (5.6, first), free throws made (492, third), free throws attempted (625, third), and steals (220, third).
Complementing Gunn in the post is 6-8 senior center Catherine Hintz, who averaged 10.6 points and a team-high 8.5 rebounds last season and led the squad with 53 blocked shots. Hintz scored in double figures 16 times in 32 games, including nine times off the bench, and notched seven double-doubles. Hintz shot 58.9 percent (149-for-253) from the field to lead the SAC and ranked third in the conference with 1.66 blocks per game. Hintz also earned a spot on the NCAA II Southeast Regional All-Tournament Team.
Three other starters are back from last year's team. Senior guard Jasmine Parker averaged 8.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game and led the team in foul shooting at an even 80 percent (80-for-100), 6-1 junior forward Staci Hicks contributed 7.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per contest, and senior guard Brittni Oliver scored 4.1 points per game and drained 21 three-pointers.
Providing a strong outside threat for the Pioneers will be sophomore guard Kendal Baxter, who averaged 11.8 points in a reserve role last season and set a new SAC single-season record with 105 three-pointers, which was also a new Tusculum record. Baxter carries a streak of 30 consecutive games with at least one three-pointer into the 2010-11 season.
Also returning for Tusculum is sophomore forward Fayola Moise, who played in nine contests last year, contributing 15 points (1.7 ppg) and 16 rebounds (1.8 rpg), while shooting 63.6 percent from the charity stripe.
Four newcomers will be looking to contribute to the Pioneer attack, led by 5-11 junior forward Linda Aughburns. Aughburns played the last two seasons at NCAA Division I UNC Asheville. During her 50-game career with the Bulldogs, she averaged 5.9 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. She played her prep career at Westover High School in Fayetteville, N.C., where she was a McDonald's All-American nominee.
Three freshmen are on the TC roster this year, including Nequoiah Anderson (G, 5-5, Washington, D.C./Archbishop Carroll HS), Ayana Rashed (G, 5-3, Midland, N.C./Victory Christian HS) and Bridae White (C, 6-1, Quincy, Fla./West Gadsden HS).
After Sunday's game, the Pioneers will return to action in exactly one week when they travel to 21st-ranked Clayton State on Sunday, November 21 at 3:30 p.m. in Morrow, Ga.
Visit tusculumpioneers.com for the latest news and info on Tusculum College Athletics.
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