Staff report

SALISBURY — Trenton Gibson beat the buzzer with a 3-pointer and Tusculum rallied to beat Catawba 74-72 in Saturday’s men’s South Atlantic Conference basketball game at Goodman Gym.

Catawba led by five with under two minutes to play, but Zack Dixon made a 3-pointer for the Pioneers (5-1) and  Brandon Mitchell had a key block of a Catawba layup.

Gibson scored 24 for the winners.

Down 38-34 at the half, Catawba (2-5) went up by as many as eight in the second half. Catawba

put itself in position to win, but couldn’t finish it off.

Catawba had more rebounds and fewer turnovers and shot better from the field, but the difference was the 3-point line. Tusculum shot 10-for-27 from the bonus line, while Catawba was just 2-for-10.

Terrence Whitfield led the Indians with 15 points. Marcus Burwell had 12 points and five assists. Larry McLeod scored 11.

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Catawba’s women are still in a COVID pause.

TUSCULUM (74) — Gibson 24, B. Mitchell 12, Dixon 10, Brown 6, Legiste 6, Funderburk 6, Scott 4, J. Mitchell 4, Cohen 2.

CATAWBA (72) — Whitfield 15, Burwell 12, McLeod 11, Drummond 9, Bowen 6, Pelote 5, Johnson 6, Robinson 6, Burt 2.

Tusculum   38   36   — 74

Catawba    34    38  — 72