Hickory, N.C. - The Lenoir-Rhyne Women's Basketball Team battled, but their comeback fell short on Saturday afternoon in Shuford Gymnasium, losing to Tusculum 58-48. Trailing by as many as thirteen points in the second half the Bears cut the Pioneers lead to 52-48 with 3:32 but Tusculum scored the last six points of the game to come away with the 10-point win. Brandi Hudson led the Bears with 13 points and Maddie Dillinger added 10 for LR, but the Bears shot a season-low 26% from the floor.

GAME INFORMATION:

Final: Tusculum 58, Lenoir-Rhyne 48
Records: Tusculum (5-7, 3-5 SAC), Lenoir-Rhyne (3-6, 2-5 SAC)
Location: Hickory, N.C. | Shuford Gymnasium

STATS AND INFO:

• The loss makes it a nine game losing streak against Tusculum, which is the highest active streak against any opponent for the Bears. 
• The Bears last win against Tusculum came on Feburary 4, 2017.
• Tusculum reached the NCAA Southeast regional semi-finals last year before falling to the top seed Belmont Abbey. 
• With eight points tonight, Emily Harman is eight points away from 400 in her career. 

FIRST HALF:

• After a back and forth first quarter which saw Tusculum take a 17-13 lead, the Bears went cold in the second quarter, shooting 3-15 from the floor and only scoring nine points in the quarter. 
• While the Bears were cold from the floor in the second quarter, the Pioneers shot 42.9% to take a nine point lead into the break. Mya Belton led Tusculum with 13 points in the half.
• Harman, who is coming off a 39 points performance on Wednesday, went scoreless in the half missing all ten of her shots. However, she did have nine rebounds and five assists in the half. 
• Hudson had seven points while Blaikley Crooks added six points in the half. The duo went 6-11 from the floor while the rest of the team was 3-20. 

SECOND HALF:

• LR went 10 minutes and 37 seconds of game time between baskets. The Bears did not hit a field goal in the last 7:30 of the first half and the first 3:07 of the second half. 
• The Pioneers held the Bears to 2-16 shooting in the third quarter to open up their lead to 13 points during the quarter. 
• The Bears used a 10-1 run in the fourth quarter thanks to three steals by Harman to cut the Pioneer lead to 52-48 with 3:32 lef
• That was the closest the Bears would get, as the Pioneers scored the last six points of the game while the Bears missed their last four shots of the game. 
• The Bears' 26% shooting was their worst performance of the year from the floor and the first time they were held under 34% on the year. 
• LR also only shot 2-17 from long range while the Pioneers shot 7-16 from deep. 

ABOUT THE BEARS:

• Dillinger just missed her third double-double on the year finishing with 10 points and nine rebounds on the afternoon. 
• Hudson was the only other Bear in double figures with 10 points. Hudson has scored at least ten points in seven of the nine games on the year. 
• Harman stuffed the box score with 8 points, ten rebounds, five assists and four steals on the afternoon. 

NOTABLE PIONEERS:

• Jalia Arnwire led all scorers with 19 points and had five of the eight Tusculum steals.
• Belton added a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds. 
• Belton added three blocks with Lexi Patty and Brianna Dixon had two each. 

UP NEXT:  The Bears will finish their three-game homestand with a Monday Matinee against Newberry. Tip-off is schedule for 2:00 PM inside the Shu.