Moore scores 32, fuels Tusculum win over Mid-Continent, 69-59

Tusculum All-American posts third 30-point outing of the season

Box Score

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Kyle Moore recorded 32 points, including 22 in the second half to lead the Tusculum College men’s basketball team to a 69-59 home win over Mid-Continent University Tuesday night at Pioneer Arena.

Moore finished the night shooting 8-of-13 from the field, including 5-of-7 from three-point territory and 11-of-12 from the free throw line for his third 30-point contest of the season.

TC’s Rob Troutman added 15 points, while Justin Steigerwald recorded career-highs with nine assists and three blocked shots in the victory for the Pioneers (8-7).

Ten different MCU players found the scoring column, including 16 points by Joshua Woodley off the bench.  TiRon Peoples and Donovan Ellis added nine points each, while Keiran Nunley led all players with seven rebounds for the Cougars (8-8).

The Pioneers scored the first eight points of the contest and led wire-to-wire, but TC had to hold off a second half rally by the visitors.

Tusculum connected on its first three shots, including three-pointers by Troutman and Jimmy Boone to take an 8-0 advantage.  TC would up its advantage to 20-10 with 7:42 left in the opening period following a three-pointer by sophomore Nick Gagel.

MCU would cut the Tusculum lead to three points (25-22) thanks to a 12-5 run, including back-to-back buckets by Nunley and Woodley. Tusculum would close out the half going 5-of-6 from the free throw line, including a pair by Tommy Klempin as the Pioneers carried a 30-22 lead into the locker room.  Tusculum shot 56.3 percent in the first half, while limiting the Cougars to shoot only 8-of-26 (30.8%).  But MCU out-rebounded TC at the break 18-11, resulting in eight second-chance points.

Tusculum would increase the lead to a dozen to start the second half after a Moore three-pointer with 16:15 left in the game (39-27).  Mid-Continent responded with six straight points, including a trey by David Gratton with 13:55 remaining to trail 39-33.

The Pioneers answered with a 12-3 spurt over the next 5:31 to take it largest lead of the evening at 51-35 with 8:47 left.  Moore accounted for all 12 markers during that run, including a pair of three-pointers and six free throws.

But the Cougars would not go away.  MCU responded with a 15-2 outburst that trimmed the score to 53-50 with 5:25 remaining.  Like Moore during TC’s run, Woodley was responsible for most of the damage as he scored 12 of his 16 points of the game during the 3:22 span.

MCU would cut the lead to two points down the stretch, including 58-56 following a lay-up by Peoples with 2:09 remaining on the clock.

On the next possession, TC missed a field goal, but Wes Taylor came down with a critical offensive rebound, followed by Moore’s fifth 3-pointer of the game to make the score 61-56 with 1:29 left.  Tusculum would make its final eight free throws in the final 71 seconds, including four in a row by Troutman to seal the win.

Tusculum, who went a perfect 13-of-13 at the stripe in Saturday’s win over Catawba College, followed that performance going 24-of-28 at the free throw line, including 16-of-16 in the final 20 minutes.

TC finished the night shooting 56.3 percent, including 9-of-15 from beyond the arc (60%).

With his five treys on Tuesday, Moore has recorded 236 three-pointers in his 74-game career at Tusculum, which moves him into second place all-time in SAC history, surpassing former Wingate University standout Djuan Hankins (232, 1999-2003).  Moore is eight off the pace set by Lenoir-Rhyne University great John Wadsworth, who holds the league mark with 244 treys from 1992-96.

The Pioneers return to South Atlantic Conference play on Saturday when they host arch-rival Carson-Newman College for a 4 p.m. contest to close out TC’s four-game home-stand.

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