TIGERVILLE, S.C. --- Wesley Johnson came off the bench to score a game-high 20 points as Tusculum University defeated North Greenville University 76-60 in non-conference men's basketball Tuesday evening at Hayes Gymnasium.

Bryce Jackson added 15 points, seven rebounds and a career-high seven assists and matched Johnson by going 4-for-6 from three-point range for the Pioneers (2-1), who were 15-for-26 (57.7 percent) from behind the arc in the game. Nine different players hit at least one three-pointer for the Pioneers, who took control with a 20-4 run in the first half.

Carter Bobbitt paced the Trailblazers (1-2) with 19 points and eight rebounds and Savion Brown added 10 points, but North Greenville offset a shooting advantage over Tusculum (46.2 percent to 43.9 percent) by going just 2-for-11 on three-pointers and by being outrebounded 31-25 by the Pioneers.

Johnson obliterated his previous career high of five points set while playing for Campbell against William & Mary on Jan. 30, 2025. The 7-footer scored 10 points in 4 1/2 minutes to turn a 12-12 tie into a 28-16 Tusculum lead, and added 10 more points in the second half to finish 8-for-12 from the field.

Jackson broke his previous career high of six assists set against Coker on Feb. 24, 2024, and also had three steals in the game for the Pioneers. Damjan Vukcevic contributed nine points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots in his first start of the season for the Pioneers, with Malachi Hale adding eight points off the bench and sinking both of his three-point attempts to leave him a perfect 7-for-7 from beyond the arc to start the season.

In the first meeting between the teams in 20 years and three days, the Pioneers got on the board first on a basket by J3 Swindell just over a minute into the game. The Trailblazers missed their first four shots from the field as the Pioneers went up 7-2 behind a three-pointer and a pair of free throws from Vukcevic. A three-pointer by Brown broke the North Greenville drought after nearly 3 1/2 minutes, and the Trailblazers would climb into a 12-12 tie on a layup by Josh Linder with 12:53 left in the half.

Tied at 14, the Pioneers would start a 16-2 run with a three-pointer from Jackson followed by a bucket from Johnson for a 19-14 lead with 10:18 to go. Johnson would sink two threes around a triple from TJ Printup as Tusculum built its lead to 30-16 on a bucket from Jordan Attia with 6:30 remaining. Bobbitt would temporarily stop the surge with a basket, but a three from Jackson and a foul shot from Vukcevic put Tusculum up 34-18 with 4:15 to play in the half.

Swindell and Jackson would team up to score the final eight points of the half for the Pioneers as Tusculum carried a 42-25 lead into intermission. Jackson was 4-for-4 from long range in the first half and led all players with 13 points, with Johnson adding 10 as the Pioneers were 8-for-11 from beyond the arc as a team. Bobbitt paced North Greenville with 10 points but the Trailblazers shot an even 40 percent (10-for-25) in the half.

Tusculum's lead in the second half touched 18 points on four different occasions, while North Greenville would get no closer than 10 points following a jumper by Bobbitt with 5:50 remaining that cut the Tusculum lead to 64-54. The Pioneers would build the lead back up on an 11-2 run that included three-pointers from Johnson and Hale.

Swindell finished with seven points and four rebounds for the Pioneers, while Printup had six points along with four steals. Jeremiah Wilson had just three points along with two boards in 21 minutes for Tusculum, but the Pioneers outscored the Trailblazers by 27 points with him on the court.

Tusculum finished the game 11-for-16 at the foul line, while North Greenville was 10-for-14 at the stripe including a 7-for-8 effort from Bobbitt. The Pioneers scored 16 points off 12 North Greenville turnovers, while the Trailblazers managed just four points off 11 Pioneer miscues.

The Tusculum bench outscored the North Greenville subs by a commanding 39-11 edge, and the Pioneers had 13 fast-break points to two for the Trailblazers. North Greenville did have a 30-14 lead in points in the paint, due primarily to the Pioneers scoring 15 of their 25 field goals on three-pointers.

The Pioneers will play their home opener on Saturday, Nov. 22 at 4 p.m. against Trevecca Nazarene at Pioneer Arena. The Trojans are 1-1 heading into an Education Day game Wednesday morning at home against Oakwood.