Williamsburg, KY – Megan Morton posted a double-double on the evening, but it was not enough to carry the University of the Cumberlands women's basketball team over Georgetown College, falling 50-42 to the Tigers Thursday night at the O. Wayne Rollins Center. With the win Georgetown improves to 16-3 on the year, including 1-3 in the MSC, while the Patriots drop to 12-7 overall and 0-4 in conference play.  

UC found plenty of opportunities to score in the game, but was unable to put the ball in the basket, leading to a 21.9% field goal percentage on 56 attempts. Leading the charge for the Patriots, Shayla Simpson and Morton totaled ten points apiece, while Hannah Lawson ended the game with nine. Morton rounded out her first double-double of the season after collecting 11 rebounds off the glass. Simpson shied one rebound away from her second double-double of the season. 

While both teams got off to a slow start, Georgetown was the first on the board a minute and a half into action. The Tigers would hold a 7-0 run until Morton found Lawson for two points. Big blocked shots by Simpson and Callia Cropp with 4:40 on the clock gave the Patriots the upper hand, as Cropp found Morton open down the court to bring the score margin within one. Cropp followed up with a score of her own as the shot clock was winding down to give UC the lead and bring the score to 8-7. After the shift in momentum, the Patriots ended the first quarter on a 10-2 run to be on top, 10-9. 

Georgetown found their footing early in the second, taking the first score of the quarter again for another lead change. Jasmine Rhodes soon split her free throws to keep the game even. Morton missed several looks in the paint, but Cumberlands fought back and gained their edge with a three-point score by Simpson to tally a 14-13 lead for the Patriots. Hot off a timeout, UC rolled out back-to-back field goals to give themselves their largest lead of the night. Georgetown tacked on a score with four seconds on the clock to cut Cumberlands lead to 21-19 at the break. 

Cold out of halftime, the Patriots missed several key looks again and allowed a Tiger three-point shot to relinquish their lead early in the quarter. Jasmyne Stewart broke Georgetown's 6-0 run, sinking a pair of free throws and bringing the score to 25-23 in Georgetown's favor. UC closed in on the scoring margin, finding a fast break in transition, as Simpson converted a layup to bring the score within one point with 3:54 to go in the third. The Tigers broke out on an 8-2 run in the third, taking advantage of being fouled and going 6-6 from the line. Morton collected an offensive rebound and the put back, close the Georgetown advantage to 37-31. Lawson closed out the quarter with a field goal to bring the margin back to four points. 

Simpson drove into the paint for Cumberlands' first score of the fourth quarter, bringing the scoring deficit back to four. Lawson drew the foul in her drive into the paint at the 6:22 mark, splitting her free throws to bring the margin to 39-36. Aggressive play by UC sent Georgetown to the line twice; the Tigers split both attempts. Kayla Bruner made both of her attempts at the other end of the court, bringing the score to 41-38 with just over three minutes left in the game. Tigers fouled again while rebounding to send the Patriots to the line, where Cropp went one-and-one, closing the gap. 

With two minutes on the clock, the Patriots found themselves behind 42-39. The Tigers, unable to score as UC forces them to the outside, fouled on the other end of the court to send Lawson to the line, making both. Lawson tallied a steal on the subsequent inbound, but unable to convert in the paint, keeping the score at 46-42. This deficit proved to be too much for the Patriots, as Georgetown's free throws bring the final score of the match to 50-42. 

The Patriots and Tigers meet again at Georgetown on February 9. Cumberlands looks to regroup and will stay on home court for Saturday's MSC match-up against Campbellsville, slated to tip-off at 2:00 pm. 

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