Hickory, N.C. - The Tusculum College Women's Basketball Team (18-7, 14-3)?clinched the 2010-11 South Atlantic Conference Regular Season Championship?outright?with a 53-43 win over Lenoir-Rhyne University (14-11, 11-6) Wednesday evening at Shuford Memorial Gymnasium.

Tusculum's Jasmine Gunn (Nashville, Tenn.), the reigning conference player of the year, led all scorers with 23 points while Linda Aughburns (Fayetteville, N.C.) added nine points and a game-high 17 rebounds as the Pioneers take the season series from the Bears.

Lenoir-Rhyne, who shot just 30 percent (17-for-57) from the field, did not have a player score in double figures and was led by sophomore guard Whitley Culler (Mount Airy, N.C.), who finished with nine points and six rebounds.

The Pioneers closed the first half with a 15-2 run to take a 25-19 advantage entering intermission.?

L-R senior forward Ashley Pearson (Birmingham, Ala.), who was honored before the game, reeled of the first six points of the second half to tie the score at 25 but Tusculum responded with a 6-0 run to take the lead for good.

The Bears cut the lead to four on two occasions but the Pioneers slowly took control and pushed its margin to as many as 14 points (47-33) with 10:11 remaining on a lay-up by Gunn.

Tusculum's Catherine Hintz (Hastings, Minn.) added 10 points and nine rebounds while Pearson and sophomore guard Caroline Laughter (Hickory, N.C.) finished with eight points each for the Bears.

Both teams hit the road for their last regular season games of the year.? L-R travels to Harrogate, Tenn., to take on Lincoln Memorial Saturday at 6 p.m., while Tusculum visits Mars Hill, N.C., to face Mars Hill Saturday at 2 p.m.