Staff report

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. — For Catawba’s women’s basketball team, there were plenty of reasons to lose this one.

Long trip to the Tennessee mountains.

Limited practice time and practice numbers due to COVID procols.

A miserable second quarter in which Catawba committed nine fouls, while scoring four points.

Pretty awful 34-percent shooting for the game, including 6-for-23 from 3-point range.

Out-rebounded 50-37 while allowing a whopping 18 offensive boards.

Still, the Indians (12-1, 9-1) managed to win 58-48 at Tusculum on Saturday afternoon to stay in the thick of the South Atlantic Conference race.

Tusculum led 24-22 at halftime.

Down 32-26 late in the third quarter, Catawba put together an 11-0 run that swung the game.

Sara McIntosh led the Indians with 15 points. Lyrik Thorne made two 3-pointers and scored 12.

Deidre Cheremond had 13 points and 19 rebounds for the Pioneers (5-10, 3-8).

Catawba bounced back from a loss at Anderson on Wednesday.

Only three SAC women’s games could be played on Saturday.

Catawba’s teams are scheduled to play Carson-Newman at home on Wednesday.