GREENEVILLE, Tenn. — Tusculum University placed all five starters in double figures, led by a game-high 23 points from Ni’Kiah Chesterfield and a career-best 19 from Jenna Kallenberg, as the Pioneers defeated Emory & Henry University 82-68 in South Atlantic Conference women’s basketball Wednesday evening at Pioneer Arena.
Zoe Sharpe added 12 points and five rebounds, Abbi Douglas had 10 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and four steals, and Carleigh Wilson had 10 points, eight rebounds, four assists, three blocked shots and three steals for the Pioneers (8-14, 6-12 SAC), who shot a season-high 55.0 percent (33-for-60) from the field.
The Wasps (6-18, 1-17 SAC) had four players reach double figures, led by 17 points from Gracyn Hall and 14 points off the bench from Rhyan Harris. Breanna Yarber finished with 13 points and Lyndie Ramsey added 10 for the Wasps, who shot 39.3 percent (24-for-61) as a team and were outrebounded 41-31 by the Pioneers.
Tusculum never trailed in the game, leading 42-31 at halftime and by as many as 20 points in the fourth quarter to finish the season series sweep of Emory & Henry. The Pioneers were 8-for-23 from three-point range as a team and had a season-high 22 assists on their 33 field goals.
Chesterfield reached the 20-point mark for the third straight game and ninth time this season, going 9-for-12 from the field and 5-for-8 from the foul line. The sophomore has scored in double figures 21 times in 22 games, including 17 in a row, and leads the SAC in scoring at 19.5 points per game.
Kallenberg scored 13 of her career-high 19 points in the second half, which surpasses her previous high of 17 points set against North Greenville on Nov. 13, 2021. Kallenberg also tied her career high set in the North Greenville game with five three-pointers.
Tusculum jumped out to an 11-3 lead as Chesterfield scored eight points in the first 4 1/2 minutes, and stretched the lead to 18-9 on a three-pointer from Kallenberg with 3:35 left in the quarter. Emory & Henry was just 4-for-18 from the field in the first quarter, but shot 6-for-8 at the foul line to stay within 23-16 after one period.
A layup from Douglas pushed the Pioneers in front 27-17 with 8:19 left in the first half, but Yarber scored five straight points to cut the margin to 29-26 with 4:24 to go. Two free throws apiece from Chesterfield and Douglas left Tusculum on top 35-28 with 3:01 remaining in the half, and back-to-back threes from Ema Nagyova and Kallenberg sent Tusculum to the half with a 42-31 advantage.
Chesterfield led the Pioneers with 13 points in the first half with Douglas adding 11 points, five rebounds and four assists. Tusculum shot 47.1 percent (16-for-34) from the field and outrebounded Emory & Henry 24-20 in the half. Hall was the top scorer for the Wasps with 10 points, but Emory & Henry shot just 27.6 percent (8-for-29) from the field to offset a 12-for-16 effort at the foul line.
Tusculum went up 48-33 on a layup by Wilson with 8:32 left in the third quarter, and took a 57-40 lead on a three from Kallenberg with 5:05 remaining. The Pioneers shot 9-for-12 in the field in the quarter and their lead never dipped below 15 points, with Tusculum taking a 64-46 lead into the fourth.
Kallenberg scored the first eight points of the fourth quarter for the Pioneers, including her fifth three-pointer with 5:04 to go to give the Pioneers a 72-55 lead. A layup off a fast break by Sharpe gave Tusculum its largest lead at 80-60 with 2:40 remaining, with Emory & Henry scoring eight of the final 10 points.
Tusculum turned the ball over 20 times in the game, leading to 17 points for the Wasps, while the Pioneers had nine points off 16 Emory & Henry turnovers. The Pioneers outscored the Wasps 15-0 on fast-break points, while the Emory & Henry bench finished with a 26-7 scoring edge over Tusculum.
The Pioneers will be home Saturday to host Wingate at 2 p.m. as the team will host the “We Back Pat” game in memory of former Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt, who was the great-aunt of Douglas. The Bulldogs (14-7, 13-4 SAC) remain in second place in the SAC after defeating Newberry 60-40 Wednesday evening for their fourth straight victory. Wingate beat Tusculum 82-76 at home in the first meeting of the season back on Nov. 23.
