Greeneville, Tenn.----The Tusculum University Pioneers staved off a Bulldog rally Saturday afternoon, holding on for a 54-52 victory over visiting Wingate University in South Atlantic Conference women's basketball action. Tusculum improves to 14-4 overall and 6-2 in the SAC, while the Bulldogs fall to 11-5 overall and 4-3 in league play.

KEY STATS

- Both teams shot 37 percent from the field
- Tusculum hit eight-of-23 from three-point range, while the Bulldogs were four-for-12 from deep
- The 'Dogs held a 38-33 rebounding advantage and 12-9 edge in second-chance points
- Wingate scored 18 points off 22 TU turnovers; Tusculum had 17 points off 23 WU turnovers
- The Bulldogs outscored the Pioneers 30-18 in the paint

KEY BULLDOGS

- Bryanna Troutman had 13 points, seven rebounds and two blocks
- Hannah Clark added nine points, four boards, four assists and two steals
- AJ Davis had seven points
- Lauren Sullivan contributed six points and five rebounds
- Leah Barringer registered five points, four steals, three rebounds and two assists

FIRST QUARTER

- A Bethel Ekperigha layup gave the 'Dogs a 7-2 lead five minutes in
- Barringer knocked down a triple to make it 10-4
- A Jami Tham layup at the 3:48 mark cut the lead to one
- Tham buried a triple with two minutes left to put Tusculum on top
- A Tham bucket with 27 seconds left made it 16-11

SECOND QUARTER

- A Mya Belton triple gave the Pioneers a 10-point advantage three minutes into the second
- WU scored the next eight, getting five points from Troutman and a Jaia Wilson three to make it 21-19
- Belton's three pushed the lead back to five
- A Laney Beale layup with 1:21 remaining made it 24-21 heading to halftime

THIRD QUARTER

- A Blayre Shultz three put Tusculum on top 34-23 with 3:46 left in the third
- WU scored the next seven, getting a Sullivan triple and layups from Troutman and Barringer to make it 34-30
- Belton's layup with 35 seconds left gave the Pioneers a 38-32 advantage

FOURTH QUARTER

- A Davis three-point play at the 8:43 mark cut the lead to three
- A Shultz triple pushed the Tusculum lead back to nine at 46-37
- Wingate scored the next six, cutting the lead to three on Clark's layup with 5:31 to go
- Layups from Wilson and Emily Hege pulled WU within two at 50-48 with 2:59 remaining
- Two Tham free throws put the Pioneers on top by four with just under two to go
- Troutman's layup with 43 seconds left made it 52-50
- Deidre Cheremond's layup three seconds later put TU back on top by four
- Troutman answered with a layup with 24 seconds left to make it 54-52
- A Barringer steal gave the ball back to the 'Dogs
- The Bulldogs got three shots at it in the final 20 seconds, but could not score the equalizer

UP NEXT

- Wingate is back home Wednesday, hosting Catawba at 5:30 p.m.