GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Tusculum University claimed its fifth consecutive victory Saturday afternoon with a 64-49 victory over Coker University in South Atlantic Conference women's basketball action at Pioneer Arena.
Four players finished in double figures for the Pioneers (12-14, 10-12 SAC), who moved into a tie for sixth place in the conference standings with Newberry and UVA Wise heading into the final week of the regular season. Jalia Arnwine led Tusculum with 18 points and Mya Belton recorded her eighth double-double of the season with 15 points and a game-high 10 rebounds to go along with four blocked shots.
Tusculum's defense has been stellar during their five-game winning streak, as the Pioneers have allowed an average of 48.4 points per game over that stretch. The Pioneers have allowed 52 points or less in six straight games and in nine of their last 11 contests. Tusculum leads the SAC in scoring defense for the season, giving up 58.7 points per game.
Brianna Dixon also reached double figures for the Pioneers with 13 points to go along with six rebounds, four assists and three steals, and Jordan Rogers added 12 points, six rebounds and five assists as Tusculum led by as many as 23 points in the second half. Tusculum came up with 14 steals on 24 Coker turnovers, converting them into 26 points.
Saquita Joyner led the Cobras (6-17, 5-16 SAC) with 20 points and nine rebounds and Ahlea Myers added 16 points and five rebounds off the bench. Coker shot 35.1 percent (20-for-57) from the field and lost their 13th straight game to Tusculum overall and eighth straight at Pioneer Arena.
With her 18 points, Arnwine passed Julie Helle (1,139 points from 1978-82) for 15th place on the Tusculum career scoring list. Arnwine reached double figures for the 11th consecutive game by shooting 7-for-14 from the field and 2-for-6 from three-point range for the Pioneers.
Coker came up empty on its first six possessions, while Tusculum was shut out in its first five possessions until Dixon opened the scoring with 7:28 left in the first quarter. Coker took its only lead at 3-2 on a three-pointer by Ashauntee Nelson with 6:44 left in the first, as two free throws by Dixon were followed by buckets from Arnwine and Belton for an 8-3 Tusculum lead with 4:23 left in the period. A basket by Arnwine with 2:18 left would be the final points of the period as Tusculum led 12-7 after one.
The Cobras, who shot 3-for-15 from the field in the first quarter, would go 0-for-3 with six turnovers to start the second quarter as the Pioneers went up 17-7 behind a three-pointer from Belton and a jumper from Rogers. Coker would snap a drought of nearly seven minutes on a layup by Joyner with 6:13 left in the half, and would pull within 19-15 on a putback by Joyner with 4:25 remaining. A three-point play from Belton with 1:38 left and a layup by Arnwine with 34 seconds to go sent the Pioneers to the locker room with a 28-23 lead.
Belton led all players with 10 points in the first half as Tusculum shot 39.3 percent (11-for-28) from the field and 1-for-6 on three-pointers. Arnwine had eight points in the opening half for Tusculum, as did Joyner to lead Coker. The Cobras shot 32.3 percent (10-for-31) from the field and committed 14 turnovers in the first half, but outrebounded the Pioneers by a 24-17 margin.
Tusculum's lead lingered between four and nine points for much of the third quarter, with the Pioneers going up by double digits at 43-32 on a layup by Arnwine with 2:32 to play in the period. A three-pointer by Myers would be the only points of the final 3 1/2 minutes of the quarter for Coker, which trailed 45-35 after two free throws from Dixon with 39 seconds to go in the quarter.
The Pioneers pulled away in the fourth quarter, going up 53-37 following a three-pointer from Dixon with 7:45 to go. An Arnwine three with 3:37 left gave Tusculum a 60-40 lead, part of a 10-0 run that saw the Pioneers take their largest lead at 63-40 following two foul shots from Rogers with 2:35 left. The Pioneers would not hit another field goal after Arnwine's late three, but went 4-for-6 from the stripe in the final 3:21.
Sophie Henry played all 40 minutes at point guard for the second straight game and matched her career high with six rebounds to go along with three steals. Off the bench, Alyssa Walker contributed five points and two rebounds in 13 minutes for Tusculum.
The Pioneers will host UVA Wise in a key SAC matchup on Wednesday evening at 5:30 p.m. at Pioneer Arena on Senior Night. The Cavaliers beat the Pioneers 69-62 at home back on Nov. 27, and are coming off an 84-53 road loss to Wingate on Saturday which snapped a three-game winning streak.
