Pioneers Race Past Men's Basketball

GREENEVILLE,TENN.- The Mars Hill men's basketball team lost 87-73 to Tusculum in South Atlantic Conference action in Pioneer Arena on Wednesday. Mars Hill falls to 8-11 on the season and 3-10 in league play while Tusculum improves to 4-14 and 4-9.

Michael Carson led Mars Hill with 14 points, followed by 13 points each from Kevin Haynes, Patrick Monroe and Brandon McCarter. McCarter led the Lions with seven rebounds.

Mason Fox led Tusculum with a triple-double, scoring 10 points with 10 rebounds and 13 assists. Fox's triple-double is the first in program history. Chase Mounce scored 20 points and led Tusculum with 14 rebounds. Javon Price scored 18 points, followed by Matt Shown with 12 and Cory Fagan with 11.

After four ties and nine lead changes in the first 10 minutes, Tusculum went on an 8-1 run for a 27-20 lead with 8:44 to play in the opening half. Mars Hill pulled to within two, 27-25, before the Pioneers went on a 13-1 run for a 14 point lead (40-26) with 1:36 to go in the half. After a Haynes free throw and a missed 3-pointer by Price, McCarter went the length of the floor for a layup just before the buzzer to send the Lions into the locker room down 40-31.

Mars Hill opened the second half on a 9-2 run, pulling to within a two, 42-20, at the 16:43 mark. Tusculum pushed the lead back to double digits, 58-48, with 9:38 to play before the Lions went on a 10-1 run to pull to within a point (59-58) following a Monroe 3-pointer with 7:12 left. Tusculum answered with a 12-3 run fueled by a pair of Price 3-pointers to take a 71-61 lead. A layup from Haynes with 4:12 to go brought Mars Hill to within eight, 71-63, but the lions would get no closer the rest of the way.

Tusculum outrebounded Mars Hill 47-39 and held a 44-28 advantage in points in the paint. The hosts outshot Mars Hill 47.7 percent to 35.2 percent. Tusculum finished 18 of 22 from the free throw line, while the Lions went 15 of 24.

Mars Hill travels to Wingate on Saturday. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m.