Mya Belton scored a game-high 20 points, including 13 in the second half, as Tusculum University rallied for a 57-52 victory at Emory & Henry College in South Atlantic Conference women’s basketball action Wednesday evening.
Jami Tham recorded her 22nd consecutive double-double with 14 points and a game-high 11 rebounds and Blayre Shultz added 12 points for the Pioneers (17-4, 8-4 SAC), who trailed by nine points at halftime but held the Wasps (7-13, 4-8 SAC) to 22.9 percent shooting in the second half to snap a two-game losing streak, finish a sweep of the season series and remain in second place in the SAC Mountain Division standings, a half-game ahead of Limestone.
Breanna Yarber led the Wasps with 15 points and Taylor Owens added nine points off the bench, while Emma Santoro had eight points and a team-high nine rebounds. Emory & Henry forced 21 Tusculum turnovers but could only convert them into 15 points, while the Wasps were outrebounded 43-33 by the Pioneers. Emory & Henry finished the game at 33.8 percent (22-for-65) from the field and just 2-for-3 from the foul line, while Tusculum was 41.8 percent (23-for-55) from the field and 5-for-12 at the stripe.
Tham’s double-double was the 54th of her collegiate career and moved her within two of tying the Division II record of 24 consecutive double-doubles, shared by Vanessa Wilt of Cal State-San Bernardino (2007-08) and Jamiyah Johnson of Davis & Elkins (2019-20). Tham also tied Susan Starnes (1995-96) for the Tusculum program single-season record of 22 double-doubles and moved into fourth place on the program career list behind Starnes (80), Stephany Neptune (36) and Maddie Sutton (30).
The Emory & Henry men’s basketball team used a 20-2 run in the first half to spark the Wasps to defeat visiting Tusculum University Wednesday night in South Atlantic Conference action at the King Center.
Emory & Henry (10-9, 6-6 SAC) completes the season-sweep over the Pioneers (13-8, 5-7 SAC) in the Wasps’ inaugural season in the league.
E&H placed five players in double figures as Cade Looney finished with a game-high 17 points. Gabe Brown (14), Jalen Leftwich (13), Micah Banks (12), and Jake Moynihan (10) also posted double digits as the Wasps shot 55 percent from the floor including 11-of-19 from three-point territory.
TU KJ Crump and Inady Legiste scored 10 points each to lead the Pioneers who were held to 38 percent shooting from the field and were out-rebounded by a 44-31 margin.
The Pioneers return to action next Wednesday as TU travels to UVA-Wise.