CHARLOTTE, N.C. --- Senior guard Blakeley Burleson scored a career-high 19 points to lead the Tusculum College women's basketball team to a 69-66 victory over Queens University of Charlotte on Saturday afternoon in Charlotte, North Carolina. Sophomore guard Maelyn Cutshaw added 17 points for the Pioneers.

The competitive game featured 14 lead changes and eight ties, while neither team held a lead greater than eight. Tusculum improved its record to 5-9 in the South Atlantic Conference (5-12 overall) and helped its cause in the race for a spot in the conference's postseason tournament. Queens' record falls to 5-14 overall and 3-11 in the SAC.

Burleson broke a 56-56 tie with a three-pointer to give TC a 59-56 lead with 3:41 to play. Junior guard Shynese Whitener pushed the Pioneer advantage to five with a layup two possessions later, but a pair of free throws by the Royals' Karleasha Thompson cut Tusculum's lead to just 63-62 with 54 seconds to play.

In the next trip down the floor, senior forward Rainey Story hit a big driving layup to push TC's lead back to three. In the ensuing possession, Story picked up a steal against Thompson and the Pioneers called a quick timeout leading 65-62 with 26 seconds remaining. Cutshaw received the ball on the inbounds and was quickly fouled. She went to the line and made both free throws, giving the Pioneers a five-point advantage.

Thompson answered with a quick layup on the other end to make it a one-possession game with 15 seconds on the clock. The Royals had to foul to try and get the ball back, and once again sent Cutshaw to the line. She stepped up to the stripe and buried two more free throws to put the game out of reach with a 69-64 lead with 10 seconds remaining. Queens' Abby Pettit hit a layup as time expired but Tusculum brought home the three-point victory.

Whitener finished with 14 points for the Pioneers while Story added nine off the bench. Junior forward Kristen McMillion had eight points and a game-high eight rebounds. Burleson was 6-for-11 from the field including four three-pointers, which matched her season high.

Queens' Mckell Oliverio led all scorers with 20 points while Pettit tallied 18 and Thompson finished with 11.

The game was tied for the seventh time in the first half at 24-24 after a free-throw by Petit with just under four minutes to play before the break. TC answered with a 7-0 run, capped off by a Cutshaw three, to lead 31-24 with 22:28 left in the opening period. Queens scored the next four points to trim the deficit to three, but Whitener nailed her only three point attempt of the game to give the Pioneers a 34-28 lead at the break.

Cutshaw scored the first four points of the second period, the final point giving TC the largest lead of the game at 38-30 with 18:36 to play. The Royals took their first lead of the of the second half at 48-47 with 9:13 remaining, and both sides traded the lead seven times in the next five minutes before the Burleson three gave TC the lead for good.

The Pioneers will be back in action on Wednesday night when they travel to take on Anderson University at 6 p.m.