GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Akeem Odusipe scored 18 points and recorded some key rejections down the stretch as Tusculum outlasted Carson-Newman 90-88 in overtime in a South Atlantic Conference men's basketball thriller.
In yet another exciting chapter of the 109-year old rivalry, the 187th meeting between the Pioneers and the Eagles saw 17 lead changes and 10 ties. Tusculum overcame poor free throw shooting and a pair of clutch three-pointers from C-N's Nick Brenegan, including his game-tying triple with 4.8 seconds left in regulation to send it to overtime.
With Tusculum holding a 64-63 lead with 9:32 left in the second half, the Pioneers went on a 7-0 run to take its largest lead of the night at 71-63 thanks to a pair of three-pointers from freshman Taj Kimber.
With TU up 75-67 with 5:33 to go, Carson-Newman would get to the free throw line and make six consecutive free throws including four by John Zhao as the Eagles cut the lead to 75-73 with over four minutes remaining.
Tusculum's Bryce Jackson made one of two free throws to make it a three-point game at 76-73 with 3:48 on the clock. The score would remain that way until under a minute remaining when Jackson converted an acrobatic layup to extend the lead to 78-73 with 54 seconds left.
C-N's Jack Browder would be fouled and he made one of his two free throws with 44 seconds remaining to cut the lead to four (78-74). TU's Malachi Hale responded eight seconds later with two free throws to make it a two possession contest with 36.9 seconds left on the scoreboard.
Brenegan got around the Tusculum defense and made a driving layup with 30 seconds left to cut the deficit to 80-76. Jackson would be fouled but he would miss the front end of the one-and-bonus with 29 seconds left. C-N raced down the floor as Trey Hubbard was fouled in the lane with 20.9 seconds left. He would make both free throws to make it a two-point game (80-78).
Hale would be fouled immediately and like Jackson, missed the front end of the bonus. Zhao was looking for the game-tying layup but Odusipe would come up with the block and freshman Denaj Kimber would come up with the rebound. Kimber was fouled with 11.9 seconds left as he missed the first, but made the second for an 81-78 lead. Carson-Newman raced down the floor and called a timeout with 7.1 seconds to play.
The play drawn up was the correct one as the Eagles found Brenegan in the right corner who drained the fade away three-pointer with 4.8 seconds left to tie the game at 81-81.
The Pioneers (6-18, 6-14 SAC) got off a long-range attempt before the horn but it was no good as Tusculum headed to overtime for the second time this month.
The Eagles (17-8, 12-7 SAC) got on the board first in the extra period on a Browder layup. Jackson would make one of two free throws as TU trailed 83-82. Browder converted his second straight bucket for a three-point C-N lead (85-82) with 4:08 left in overtime.
Odusipe made a hook shot in the lane to bring the Pioneers back to within one at 85-84. On C-N's next possession, Braden Ilic would be fouled. He would miss both shots as the Pioneers came up with the rebound and trailing by one.
Tusculum's possession lasted a bit longer as the Pioneers missed three shots, but came up with three offensive rebounds including one by Printup following a blocked shot from Ilic.
Jackson would cash in on the fourth chance as he buried a 15-footer from the elbow as the Pioneers retook the lead at 86-85 with 1:56 left.
Browder would get off an off-balanced, under-hand layup that was off target and the Pioneers would get the rebound with 1:36 remaining. Jackson would work the clock down and hit a contest layup off the glass with 1:07 left to extend the lead to 88-85.
But back came the Eagles as C-N found Brenegan from the left wing who connected tied the game again with 48 seconds left in overtime.
Printup would draw the foul going to the rim with 21.7 seconds on the clock. Printup broke the tie with his first free throw but he would miss the second as Browder grabbed the board. He would get the ball just outside the lane but was defended by Hale. Browder would stumble and while falling would have to put up an awkward shot which was hauled in by Denaj Kimber who was fouled with four seconds left. He missed the first free throw but made the second as Tusculum led 90-88.
Hubbard would get the ball across half-court, but he would slip and fall as time ran out on the clock to seal the Tusculum victory.
Jackson finished with 21 points for the Pioneers as he eclipsed 20 points for the 11th time this season. The Kimber brothers posted 15 points apiece, Hale had eight points, while freshman Jason Britton tallied five markers in the victory.
Browder led all scorers with his 27-point performance while also grabbing a game-high 15 rebounds. Zhao added 17 points, Brenegan had 14 and Hubbard contributed 13 points and five assists in the loss.
Tusculum connected on a season-high 13 three-pointers and shot 44 percent from the field. But TU could only shoot 15-of-26 from the free throw line (58%) but edged the Eagles on the glass by a 41-37 margin including 16-7 on the offensive glass.
The Pioneers established a new school single-game record committing just four turnovers, which are the fewest in recorded history.
Carson-Newman went 29-of-59 from the floor for 49.2 percent and a blistering 22-of-25 from the charity stripe (84%).
For head coach JT Burton, he improves to 7-2 in overtime games at Tusculum. It was also his 199th career victory as a head coach at four-year institutions.
After going 2-1 on its season-long three-game home-stand, the Pioneers will be on the road for its next two games beginning with next Wednesday's trip to Mars Hill for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off. Tusculum defeated the Lions 83-59 last November.
