Comer's Bucket Lifts Lions Over Tusculum

GREENEVILLE, TENN. – Senior guard Sydney Comer connected on a layup with 38 seconds left on the clock to lift the Mars Hill women's basketball team to a hard fought 69-68 win over Tusculum on Wednesday evening inside Pioneer Arena. Comer finished with eight total points to help the Lions improve to 7-20 overall and 5-16 within the league, while dropping the Pioneers to 6-19 overall and 5-16 in the conference.

Paige Chavis tallied her sixth game of the year with 20+ points as she poured in a team-high 24 to go along with her seven rebounds. Aliyah Farmer collected her fifth double-double of the season with 16 points and a game-high 10 boards, while Jenny Edwards chipped in 11 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. The Lions shot 41.3% (26-63) from the floor and outrebounded the Pioneers 40-37.

Tusculum had the hot hand early, running out to a 12-5 lead following a three pointer from Maelyn Head at the 4:59 mark of the opening quarter. A pair of free throws from Destini Reed trimmed the margin to 15-13, but a 15-2 run by TC gave the Pioneers their biggest lead of the contest (30-15) with 8:15 remaining before halftime.

However, Mars Hill used a 15-2 run of its own, capped off by a Chavis jumper, to trail only 32-30 with 1:42 on the clock. The two teams traded the next eight points and Tusculum carried a slim 36-34 lead into the intermission.

The third quarter was back-and-forth and Farmer connected on a layup to give the Lions their first lead (40-38) since it was 5-2 with 7:50 remaining in the first quarter. The rest of the third frame witnessed four ties and five lead changes, but the Lions were up a single point (52-51) heading into the final 10 minutes.

Edwards started the fourth with a layup to make the score 54-51, but Tusculum used a 6-2 mini run to regain the lead (57-56) with eight to play. Chavis gave the visitors a two-point lead (67-65) with 1:42 left, but another three from Maelyn Head put TC up 68-67 before Comer connected on her game-winning basket.

Kasey Johnson led Tusculum with 22 points, while Head and Jasmine Queen chipped in 13 and 11 points, respectively. The Pioneers shot 47.5% (28-59) from the floor and turned the ball over 18 times.

The Lions will finish out the regular season on Saturday, February 25 as they play host to the Lenoir-Rhyne Bears. Prior to the 2 p.m. tipoff the Blue and Gold will honor Sydney Comer and Paige Chavis, the two senior players, for their contributions to the Lions basketball program.