GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Dallas Jones poured in a game-high 26 points to lead the Anderson University men's basketball team to a 75-46 win over Tusculum University Saturday afternoon at Pioneer Arena in the regular-season finale for both teams.
Jones shot 9-of-11 from the floor and 6-of-7 from the free throw line as the Trojans (16-12, 12-12 SAC) complete the season sweep over the Pioneers (6-22, 6-18 SAC). Anderson earns the No. 7 seed in next week's SAC Championship Tournament in Rock Hill, South Carolina and will face second-seeded Lenoir-Rhyne in the quarterfinal round. Tusculum ends its season with a four-game losing streak and finishes with its worst record since the 2017-18 campaign (6-21).
The 46 points scored by Tusculum was a season-low and the fewest by a Pioneer team since Mar. 7, 2020 when TU dropped a 67-46 decision to second-ranked Lincoln Memorial University in the South Atlantic Conference Championship semifinal.
Anderson led wire-to-wire as the Trojans shot 25-of-51 from the floor for 49 percent including 10-of-25 from three-point territory (40%). AU out-rebounded Tusculum by a 43-25 margin and recorded 16 assists on its 25 made field goals. Tusculum missed 11 of its first 12 shots in the opening 10:23 of the contest as Anderson held a 22-5 advantage. The Trojans swelled the lead out to as many as 23 points in the first half before setting for a 39-18 lead at the intermission.
Tusculum was held to a season-low 18 percent in the first half making 5-of-28 from the floor including just 1-of-9 from three-point land. TU also had only one assist at halftime and finished the game with eight helpers.
The Pioneers cut the deficit to 18 when senior Naji Hall made a pair of free throws and senior Akeem Odusipe scored on a transition bucket as TU trailed 40-22. But the Trojans put the game away with a 9-2 run and would never let the lead sink below a 20-point margin for the rest of the afternoon.
Joining Jones in double figures was Austin Webb who posted 14 markers, while AJ Wright had 10 points to go along with game-highs of six assists and three steals.
Odusipe was the lone Pioneer in double-figures as he had 13 points and a game-high 11 rebounds for his team-leading fifth-double of the year and seventh of his career. It was also his 11th game this year with 10 or more rebounds.
TU freshman Denaj Kimber added seven points off the bench, junior Malachi Hale had five, and the rookie duo of Jason Britton and Taj Kimber added four points each.
Saturday was Senior Day as five student-athletes were recognized in pre-game ceremonies including Bryce Jackson, Jackson Owens, Ryan Neal, Naji Hall and Akeem Odusipe.
