GREENEVILLE, TN - The Presbyterian College men's basketball team played a stifling defense and held host Tusculum College without a field goal in the final eight minutes of the game en route to a 65-50 South Atlantic Conference victory Wednesday night at Pioneer Arena.
Senior forward Tray Ballenger (Wellford, S.C.) led the Blue Hose with 11 points and seven rebounds as PC improves to 14-6 overall and 4-2 in SAC play. The Pioneers (11-8, 2-4 SAC) suffer their first back-to-back losses at home since the 2000-01 season.
Tusculum's Jordan Lear (Zanesville, Ohio) and Douglas Tshomba (Brussels, Belgium) scored 13 points each, while Tyler White (Monroe, Mich.) posted six points to go along with his game-high six rebounds and four assists.
The PC duo of junior Grant Herren (Oviedo, Fla.) and senior Johann Collins (Raleigh, N.C.) tallied 10 points each, while Collins hauled in seven rebounds.
Presbyterian jumped out to a 5-0 lead and closed out the first half using a 15-6 run to take a 34-22 lead into the locker room. TC was held without a field goal of the final 6:41 of the opening half.
In the second period, PC maintained its advantage and led 45-34 following a jumper by Sean Dixon (Marietta, Ga.) with 13:43 remaining.
The Pioneers mustered an 11-3 spurt over the next 3:57 and trimmed the deficit to 48-45 with 9:46 left, following back-to-back baskets by Chris Poore (Greeneville, Tenn.). But Tusculum recorded its final field goal of the night when Lear scored on a lay-up at the 7:59 mark. PC would limit the Pioneers to 0-for-6 shooting for the rest of the game, while causing four turnovers.
The play that proved to be the back-breaker for Tusculum came with 4:10 left. PC's freshman guard Bryan Bostic (Norcross, Ga.) made a three-pointer, while Collins was fouled simultaneously. Collins made one of his two free throws to convert the unconventional four-point play as PC moved ahead 57-48. The Blue Hose would close out the rest of the contest on an 8-2 run, while halting a three-game road losing streak.
Presbyterian shot 49 percent from the floor, while Tusculum fired 42.5 percent. PC, who leads the league in rebounding, won the battle of the boards by a 31-26 margin.
Tusculum returns to action on Saturday when they host Lenoir-Rhyne College for a 4 p.m. contest at Pioneer Arena. PC stays on the road as they travel to Salisbury, N.C. to take on league-leading Catawba College at 4 p.m.
