HARROGATE, Tenn. --- Junior guard Shynese Whitener scored a career-high 30 points, but the Tusculum College women's basketball team fell 85-80 to Lincoln Memorial University on Wednesday night in Harrogate, Tennessee. Sophomore guard Maelyn Cutshaw also matched her career-high of 20 points for the Pioneers (3-9, 3-5 South Atlantic Conference).

Whitener was 12-of-20 from the field and connected on three of four three pointers she attempted. Cutshaw was 8-of-18 in field goal attempts, and hit three triples while pulling down a team-high eight rebounds.

Senior guard Blakely Burleson finished with 12 points and six rebounds, while fellow senior backcourt member Briana Mitchell added seven points off the bench. Senior forward Rainey Story tallied six points while freshman guard Madison Malone scored five.

With the game tied at 69 with just under four minutes remaining, the Railsplitters (8-7, 5-4) reeled off a 7-0 run to take a 76-69 lead with 2:22 showing on the clock. Whitener answered for the Pioneers with a three-pointer in the next offensive possession and cut the lead to just four with 1:35 remaining.

After a made jumper by LMU's Aisjah Lee, Whitener connected a jumper of her own to make the score 78-74 with just 44 seconds to play. TC was forced to foul to save time, and sent Lee to the line, who connected on both free throws to set LMU's lead at 80-74 with 42 seconds left.

Cutshaw tried to make it a one possession game in the next trip down the floor but couldn't connect on the three pointer. However, Burleson corralled the offensive rebound and kicked it out to Malone but she missed her three-point attempt as well.

LMU pushed their advantage to eight, but Whitener and Malone hit three-pointers in the final 30 seconds, and the Railsplitters led 83-80 with five seconds remaining. However, LMU's Katrina Ottesen went to the line and hit two free throws to seal the five-point victory.

Megan Pittman led the way for the Railsplitters with 23 points and a game-high 15 rebounds. Ottesen finished with 18 points while Lee and Kiara Rawles tallied 12 and 11 points respectively.

TC led by as many as eight on two occasions in the first half, the second coming after a three-pointer by Whitener that made the score 37-29 with 3:26 to play. However, the Railsplitters finished the half on an 11-0 run, capped off by a three pointer by Pittman, to take a 40-37 lead at halftime.

Tusculum will continue its three-game roadtrip on Saturday (Jan. 17) at Wingate. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m.