Tuscaloosa, AL – After beginning the season 6-0, the UC men's basketball team suffered its first defeat as they fell to Stillman 74-67 Saturday afternoon at the Birthright Auditorium.  With the win Tigers improve to 5-1, while the Patriots drop to 6-1.

Stillman opened the game on a 10-0 run over the first three minutes of action and never trailed in the first half.  Bernard Samuel and Eric Duncan hit back-to-back three pointers to cut the deficit to 10-6 with 16:04 remaining.  The teams traded baskets, before Chance Morton converted back-to-back field goals to make it 18-14 in favor of the Tigers midway through the first half.  Two minutes later, Duncan converted an old-fashion three point play to bring UC within three with 8:34 left.  Stillman tallied seven straight points, before Cumberlands used a 12-5 run of their own to make it 36-33 with 3:24 remaining in the first half.  Samuel and Morton each recorded a bucket in the finals minutes to cut the deficit to 42-38 at the break.  

The Tigers hit the first basket of the second half, but a Will Gary three-pointer followed by a Duncan field goal made it a one point deficit just over two minutes in.  Malik Colvin-Selden drained a pair of free throws at the 16:51 mark to give Cumberlands its first lead of the game 45-44. UC extended their lead to three, before Stillman went on a 10-0 run over the course of four minutes to take a 54-47 lead.  The two teams traded buckets as Morton's field goal cut the deficit to 60-53 midway through the second half.  Stillman extended their lead to nine points with 5:33 left before UC started to rally led by Morton and Samuel, who each hit a field goal to make it 66-62.  That was the closest the Patriots got as the Tigers used a 8-5 run to close out the game for the 74-67 final.

Leading the way for the Patriots was Duncan, who recorded a team-high 16 points. Morton added 15 points and six rebounds, while Samuel tallied 11 points, four rebounds, and four assists.  Anthony Eaves chipped in nine points and three assists.

The Patriots will return to the court Friday, November 24, when they travel to Campbellsville, KY to take part in the Campbellsville Classic.  UC takes on Brescia at 4 p.m. on Friday, before squaring off with Central Penn on Saturday at 1 p.m.  

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