Williamsburg, KY - The (RV) Cumberlands women's basketball team lost to eighth-ranked Thomas More 65-63, Saturday afternoon on Randy Vernon Court. With the loss, the Patriots move to 7-2 on the year and 3-2 in Mid-South play.
 
Senior center Vilma Covane got the Patriots started with a pair of rebounds and baskets in the first minute of the opening quarter. Down 4-0, the Saints climbed back into the game knocking down three triples to take a 9-6 lead midway through the first quarter.  UC battled back with buckets from Hannah Lawson and Silvia Veloso put the Patriots back in front 10-9 with 4:35 remaining.  Thomas More went on an 8-2 run to close the quarter up by five, 17-12. Cumberlands' defense held the Saints to 36% from the field and out-rebounded them, 13-10.
 
The second quarter of play opened with a bucket from Carla Covane to bring the score to 17-14, Pats down by three. The Saints seemed to find their groove, scoring on their next four possessions to go up by ten over UC. Addison Wilson broke their run with a jumper outside the paint to put the score at 26-18. The Saints continued their offensive attack going up 37-22 ahead of the half.
 
As the second half opened, Veloso capitalized on an 'and-one' opportunity to begin chipping away at the Saints' lead. At the 7:51 mark, Channing Lewis drained a three to bring the score to 42-30 in favor of the Saints. Both teams exchanged buckets before UC regained their momentum, closing out the quarter on a seven-point run. The Patriots outscored the Saints 23-13 to end the quarter at 50-45, TMU up.
 
The Patriots looked to even the score in the opening minutes of the final quarter, with Abbi Douglas and Vilma Covane sinking back-to-back baskets to bring UC within two. With 4:25 remaining, Lawson hit a shot from behind-the-arc to keep the score close at 57-55. As the clock sank below one-minute remaining, Veloso hit nothing but net from near mid-court to shrink TMU's lead to one at 63-62. Reagan Begole had an opportunity to even the score, however, she only hit one of two from the foul line kept Thomas More in front 64-63 with 14 seconds remaining. UC had multiple chances in the final seconds, with the a last second shot from Douglas fell short of the net to give Thomas More the victory over the Patriots 65-63.
 
Veloso led the charge against Thomas More, notching her third double-double in a four-game span. Tallying 18 points and ten rebounds, Veloso led the team in both categories. The Covane sisters added a combined 18 points and 15 rebounds, while Wilson scored a season-high eight points.
 
The Patriots will return to the court on January 4 to host a game against Pikeville. Tip-off set for 5:30pm, live stream will be available here, while live stats are 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, Youtube- Cumberlands Patriots, and Facebook by searching University of the Cumberlands Athletics.