Columbia, KY – A fourth quarter offensive push would be the difference as the UC Women's Basketball team would fall on the road on Thursday to the NAIA tenth-ranked Blue Raiders of Lindsey Wilson College 62-54. The loss moves Cumberlands to 15-10 overall this season and 3-7 in Mid-South Conference action.
The largest run of the game would come early for Lindsey Wilson, opening up the game on a 14-3 run in the first six minutes of the contest. UC would answer though with their own 13-2 run over the next three and a half minutes to tie the game at 16. A late three from the Blue Raiders would give them a 19-16 lead after the first. The second saw LWC attempt to open the lead back up, but the Patriot ladies would always find their way back into the game with some timely shots and solid defense. The Blue Raiders would see their lead grow to nine at 30-21 with 3:43 left in the half, but UC would cut it to two with seven straight points to 30-28 with just under two to play in the second. Lindsey would hit three free throws to close the half up five at 33-28.
The Patriots would cut the lead back down to a single possession numerous times in the third, but could not overtake the Blue Raiders at any point in the third. The lead would get as large at seven for Lindsey Wilson, but Cumberlands would continue to cut into it, putting pressure on the tenth-ranked team in the country on their home floor as the Blue Raiders led 44-42 entering the final quarter of play. UC would commit four turnovers in the fourth, which was as many as they had in the first three quarters combined, but it was the shooting of late game shooting of LWC that made the difference. The Blue Raiders went 7-13 from the floor in the fourth while going 4-4 from the charity stripe to take down the Patriots 62-54.
UC saw three score in double figures led by
Shayla Simpson with 12 points, two rebounds, a block, and a steal.
Cheyenne Madden added 11 points along with eight rebounds, a block, and a steal.
Kayla Bruner also chipped in 11 points with two rebounds and two assists.
Cumberlands would shoot 35.6% from the field in the contest while shooting just over 41% from beyond the arc in the game. Lindsey would score 28 points in the paint compared to UC's 18 points while both teams committed just eight turnovers each in the game.
On Saturday, February 17
th, the Patriot ladies will return home as they host the Phoenix of Cumberland University for another MSC matchup. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 pm. Former member of Cumberlands' Basketball Jamie Walker-Vernon will also be inducted into the UC Athletic Alumni Hall of Fame during halftime of the men's game which will follow the women's contest.
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