GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Tusculum's Bryce Jackson scored a game-high 16 points including the winning layup with 57.2 seconds to go as the Pioneers edged visiting Catawba 76-75 Saturday night at Pioneer Arena in South Atlantic Conference men's basketball action.
Tusculum (5-5, 2-3 SAC) wins in a thriller as the lead exchanged hands 17 times including four occasions in the final two minutes.
The Pioneers held a 68-61 lead with 5:50 remaining following a pair of free throws by Malachi Hale. Catawba (5-3, 1-2 SAC) answered with a 9-2 spurt capped off by Carson Daniel's steal and layup to knot the game at 70-70 with 2:49 on the clock. It was the 11th tie of the night.
On the following possession, ss the shot clock was running out, TJ Printup drew a foul as he made both free throws to give Tusculum a 72-70 lead with 2:19 remaining. But Chase Daniel had an answer with his stone-cold three-pointer to give the Catawba Indians the lead at 73-72 with 2:07 left.
Tusculum would be called for an offensive foul on its next possession, but Catawba would be called for a turnover themselves with 1:40 remaining. After a TU timeout, the Pioneers missed a three-pointer, but Printup came through with a tip-in dunk on the rebound for a 74-73 lead with 1:19 to go.
Catawba responded four-seconds later when Carson Daniel found a driving Nick Walker on a full-court pass and converted the layup as the visitors regained the lead at 75-74 with 1:15 remaining.
Jackson called his own number on the ensuing possession and drove down the left lane with a clutch layup with 57.2 seconds on the clock for a 76-75 advantage.
After a timeout, Catawba missed a go-ahead triple and Amari Allen came down with the rebound for the Pioneers. With TU looking to run the clock out, Chase Daniel came up with a steal with 25 seconds remaining as Catawba had a chance for the go-ahead bucket. Chase Daniel's floating jumper was off the mark, but Walker came down with the rebound. But Walker would be trapped underneath the basket and stepped out of bounds turning the ball over to the Pioneers with 6.4 seconds remaining.
Hale would be fouled immediately with 5.8 seconds to go and went to the line to shoot the double-bonus. He would miss both shots as Catawba got the rebound and called time with 5.2 seconds left.
After a timeout to set up a play, Chase Daniel would get off a long two-pointer from the left wing, but it would be off line as the Pioneer held on for the one-point victory.
Printup finished the game with 13 points and 10 rebounds for his third double-double of the season. Allen added nine points and season-highs with six assists and 11 rebounds. Hale finished with 10 points, Wesley Johnson buried three 3-pointers for his nine points, and Jordan Attia added nine markers for the Pioneers.
Catawba placed five players in double figures. Jashaun Hawkins led the team with 16 points off the bench as he went 10-of-11 from the free throw line and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds. Nick Walker tallied 14 points, Ibra Athie and Chase Daniel each had 13 points, while Carson Daniel rounded out the scoring with 10.
Tusculum out-boarded the top rebounding team in the conference by a 38-36 margin including 13-5 on the offensive glass.
TU went 27-of-56 from the field for 48.2 percent including 52 percent in the second half. Catawba finished 25-of-62 for 40.3 percent including 36 percent in the final period. The Catawba Indians went 17-of-22 at the free throw line (77%), while the Pioneers went 13-of-20 (65%).
With his two steals, Jackson established a personal milestone with his 100th career steal at Tusculum. His 16-point effort gives him 966 career points with the Pioneers as he is now 34 shy of becoming the 30th player in program history with 1,000 points.
Tusculum closes out the pre-holiday portion of its schedule on Wednesday as they make the short trip over Sam's Gap to take on cross-mountain rival Mars Hill for a 4 p.m. contest at Stanford Arena.
