Women’s Baketball: Pioneers Downed by Anderson on Senior Night
Trojans clinch a share of the SAC title
Seniors Blakeley Burleson, Brianna Mitchell and Rainey Story scored a combined 24 points in their final game at Pioneer Arena, but Anderson University defeated the Tusculum College Women’s basketball team 69-51 to clinch a share of the 2014-15 South Atlantic Conference regular season championship on Wednesday night in Greeneville.
Junior guard Shynese Whitener led the Pioneers (6-18, 6-15 SAC) with 12 points, while Story and Burleson each added 10. Sophomore guard Maelyn Cutshaw tallied nine points, while junior forward Kristen McMillion pulled-down a game-high 11 rebounds to go with two blocks, two assists, and three steals.
Anderson (22-3, 19-2) was led by Sierra Simpson who had a game-high 14 points, while Leslie Woods hit four three-pointers to finish with 12 points. The Trojan defense held the Pioneers to a season-low 25.4 percent shooting percentage and out-rebounded TC 54-36. Tusculum was also held to just one three pointer but did shoot 88.9 percent from the free throw stripe.
Mitchell scored the first bucket of the game to give TC its only lead of the contest. AU jumped out to a 27-10 lead midway through the first half, but the Pioneers reeled off 10-straight points to cut the deficit to just seven at the 6:40 mark of the opening frame.
The Trojans increased their lead back to 11 at 33-22, but was held without a point for the final three minutes of the first half. TC scored six points during that frame, and trailed by just 33-28 at the break. TC equaled AU with 14 points each in the paint during the first period, and had an 11-9 advantage in fast break points.
TC was able to keep the lead under double-digits for the first six minutes of the second half, but a 14-2 run by the Trojans gave them their largest lead of the game at 67-45 with 3:16 remaining. Tusculum scored six of the game’s final eight points, but was dealt the 18-point defeat.
Tusculum will conclude its 2014-15 season this Saturday in Hartsville, South Carolina against Coker College. Tipoff against the Cobras is set for 2 p.m.
