Portsmouth, OH – Jahi Hinson netted 20 points for just the second time this season to lead the 15^th-ranked UC men's basketball team to a 63-59 win over (RV) Shawnee State Thursday night. With the win the Patriots improve to 21-6 overall and 10-3 against the MSC, while the Bears fall to 19-10 overall and 8-7 in conference play.

In addition to his 20 points, Hinson added six rebounds, while Steven Fitzgerald netted 11 points and grabbed six boards.  Tevin Olison and Jordan Griggs chipped in nine points apiece, while Caleb Taylor grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds, including six offensive rebounds, in the win. 

Shawnee State opened the game on an 8-3 run, however, a pair of three-pointers from Ethan Snapp cut the deficit to 10-9 four minutes into the game. The two teams traded buckets until Jahi Hinson connected on a long three to give Cumberlands its first lead of the game at 14-13 with 14:22 remaining. With the game even at 19-19 midway through the first half, UC got points from Hinson, Jordan Griggs, and Tevin Olison to extend their lead to 25-19 at the 7:15 mark.  Shawnee State went on a 12-3 run, before the Patriots responded netting the final four points of the first half to take a 32-31 lead into the break.

The back-and-forth battle continued in the second half as the score was tied twice within the first six minutes.  Cumberlands retook the lead as Olison found an open Griggs for three making it 41-38 with 14:37 remaining.  The game was tied at 41-41 and 45-45 but four straight points from Hinson put the Patriots back in front with 7:50 left. The teams continued to trade possession until Kyree Elder made a three-pointer to give the Bears a 55-54 lead with 4:20 remaining.  Coming out off a time out, Hinson scored five straight points, including completing a three-point play, to spark a 7-0 with 1:39 remaining.  Olison converted a pair of free throws to close the door for the 63-59 final.  

The win marks the first time since the 2015-2016 season that Cumberlands has won at least ten conference games. 

The Patriots will return to action Saturday, February 22, when they travel to Pikeville, KY to face the (RV) Bears. Tip off is slated for 4 p.m. with live stats will be available here.

For the latest and most up-to-date information on University of the Cumberlands Athletics, please visit www.cumberlandspatriots.com. Follow us on Twitter - @UC_Patriots and @UCPatsGameday, Instagram - @UCPatriots, SnapChat - @UC_Patriots, YouTube – Cumberlands Patriots, and Facebook by searching University of the Cumberlands Athletics.