Williamsburg, KY – Cumberlands took on the RV Golden Bears of West Virginia Tech Saturday night, and found their biggest win of the season. The Patriots scored a season-high 94 points while holding their opponent to just 54 points for the 40 point victory.
 
The Patriots were led by Steven Fitzgerald on the offensive side of the ball, as the senior finished with 21 pts and 6 rebounds while shooting 7-13 from the field. UC's bench was a major part of their success today scoring 46 points total, led by season high performances from both Matt Cromer and Austin Hall who netted 13 points each. The Pats hit 15 threes on the day and shot 51.7% from behind the arc.
 
Fitzgerald opened the game off with a three in the first nine seconds of play. Both teams traded buckets before Fitzgerald rattled off four more points, giving UC the 9-4 lead with 17 minutes remaining. Brady Bell capped off a 14-4 Patriot run with a couple of free throws and his first triple of the game to give his team the 23-8 lead with 11:43 left in the half.
 
J.J. Ramey hit a three and a jumper for the Pats next five points in response to a pair of triples and two layups from the Golden Bears. Cromer scored his first points of the game with five minutes to go in the first half, increasing the lead back to 12. The final minutes of the half saw five points from Austin Hall, a pair of lay ins from Fitzgerald and two free throws out of Kamari Kenemore. After 20 minutes of play, Cumberlands had the 41-26 lead over WVU Tech.
 
The Golden Bears laid the ball in for the first bucket of the second half, making it a 13 point game. This would be the closest WVU Tech came, as the Patriots offense exploded for 10 threes and 53 total second half points. Cromer led all scorers in the second half with 11 points and a pair of threes. Hall and Isaiah Payton mimicked their teammate with two three point baskets of their own. Payton finished with three triples on the day.
 
Fitzgerald tallied eight second-half points while Kenemore and Ramey notched five apiece. Tanner Walton scored his first points of the season behind a triple and a jumper from the foul line. Lamar Harris JR. hit a turn-around jumper and laid one in for four of his six points and Elijah Jefferson rounded out UC's scorers on the day with a free throw. UC took the win 94-54, their largest margin of victory so far this season.
 
Head Coach Matt Daniel was proud of his team's performance saying "We played our most complete game of the year. Our guys defended with the intensity that it will take for us to continue to find success."
 
Cumberlands will start Mid-South Conference play next Thursday as they face off against number 2 Thomas More. Gametime is slated for 7:30 in Crestview Hills, KY.
 
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