Tusculum Defeats Men's Basketball
The Mars Hill men’s basketball team lost 74-57 to Tusculum
MARS HILL, N.C. - The Mars Hill men's basketball team lost 74-57 to Tusculum on Monday night in Stanford Arena. Tusculum improves to 6-19 overall and 6-14 in the South Atlantic Conference while Mars Hill drops to 10-16 and 5-15.
Mars Hill was led by Isaiah Cuthbertson with 12 points and Michael Carson with 10 points.
Javon Price scored 20 points to lead Tusculum, followed by 14 points from Chase Mounce and 10 from Cory Fagan. Zach Davis pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds.
Thomas Anderson gave the Lions a 2-0 lead on a layup two seconds into the game before Tusculum took a 10-5 lead at the 15:36 mark. A Valentine Bauer free throw tied the contest at 14 for the Lions before the Pioneers went on a 7-0 run for a 21-14 lead at the midpoint of the half. Mars Hill pulled to within five (23-18) following a Patrick Monroe layup with 8:48 to play before the Pioneers went on an 8-0 run for a 31-18 lead with 5:21 to play. The Lions pulled to within 10 (35-25) following a Brandon McCarter free throw with 1:48 to go but the Pioneers would head into halftime with a 40-26 lead.
A Carson 3-pointer with 18:35 to go brought the Lions to within eight, 40-32. The Pioneers pushed their lead back to 14 following a Price 3-pointer at the 15:39 mark. Cuthbertson sank a pair of free throws with 11 minutes to play to bring the Lions to within 12, 57-45. Tusculum went on a 9-0 run to take a game-high 21 point lead (66-45) with 5:55 to go. Justin Yeargin sank a 3-pointer to bring the Lions within 14 points (66-52) with 4:41 to play but Mars Hill would get no closer the rest of the way.
Tusculum held a 46-39 advantage on the glass. Mars Hill's 28.8 percent (17 for 59) from the field was the second-lowest for the Lions this season.
Mars Hill will honor Anderson and Cuthbertson on Senior Night Wednesday night against Brevard at 8 p.m.