GREENEVILLE, Tenn. - Trevon Shaw scored a career-high 34 points on Wednesday night in a conference matchup at Tusculum.
None were more important than the last two.
Shaw connected on a layup in transition with 2.3 seconds left, lifting the Tornados (4-9, 2-5 SAC) to a nail-biting 81-79 win over the Pioneers (1-11, 1-6 SAC) on their home floor.
The Tornados finished the game on a 12-4 run, tying the score with 20.4 seconds to play on a pair of Phil Wallace free throws. Tusculum's Mason Fox missed a contested shot in the paint as the clock ticked beneath nine seconds that was rebounded by Darius Moose.
Moose then lofted a long outlet pass to Miles Leathers sprinting down the sideline. He drew in the defender as he drove the left side of the lane, then found Shaw on the right block with a perfectly-timed bounce pass. Shaw's layup in traffic clanked off the rim twice before falling through, breaking a 79-79 tie. Moose would bat away a pass as time expired to seal the victory.
The Tornados spent the bulk of the game attempting to climb out of deep deficits. Their most significant escape act came in the form of a 10-1 run that spanned the game's final 4:05. A defense that was porous for much of the game clamped down, forcing the Pioneers to go 0-for-6 from the field during the decisive stretch after allowing Tusculum to shoot 58.7 over the game's first 36 minutes.
Shaw scored 17 points in each half in a dominant individual performance. He made 11 of his 16 field goal attempts, including 4-of-6 from behind the arc, and had five rebounds. Shaw also snatched a game-high three steals, contributing to Brevard's 18-6 disparity in turnovers forced and 25-6 advantage in points off turnovers.
Although Shaw was the star, the Tornados played well as a unit. The team combined for 19 assists on 27 made baskets, and every Brevard starter had at least three assists. Brayden Masten dished out a team-high six dimes in a complete performance that included seven points, five rebounds, and all three of Brevard's blocked shots on the evening.
Tusculum was led by Javon Price, who scored a career-high 29 points and had a pair of assists. Guard Mason Fox failed to get into the scoring column, but shattered his career high by accounting for half of Tusculum's 20 assists.
Tusculum opened the game by connecting on seven of its 10 first-half three-point field goal attempts en route to 42-32 lead at the break. The Pioneers led by as many as 13 points early in the second half before a 24-9 run gave Brevard a brief two-point lead midway through the stanza.
The key in the final 20 minutes was Brevard's incredible ability to turn Tusculum's turnovers into points. The Tornados forced eight of their turnovers between the start of the second half and Moose batting away Tusculum's desperation pass on the final play. Brevard was able to turn six of those eight possessions into points, pouring in 17 points following second-half takeaways.
The Pioneers came into the contest on a six-game losing skid with its lone win of the season coming in the team's first meeting with Brevard at Boshamer Gymnasium on November 25. Wednesday's win gave Brevard its fourth victory in the last five contest over the Pioneers, which includes last year's televised 101-90 victory.
The Tornados were facing Pioneers' head coach Michael Jones for the eighth time since he stepped down from leading Brevard's program to take the reins in Greeneville, with the Tornados coming away victorious in half of the contests. Jones spent 12 seasons at the helm in Brevard, leading the Tornados' transition to a four-year school and from NAIA to NCAA status. He led the program to its lone NCAA Tournament appearance following a SAC Tournament championship in 2010.
Brevard will attempt to win a second straight contest as the Tornados return to action Saturday against Catawba. Tipoff from Salisbury is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.
Featured image courtesy of Tommy Moss.
