Georgetown, KY – A massive second half effort comes up just short as the (RV) Patriots fall to No. 8 Georgetown 71-75, Tuesday night. Cumberlands outscored GC 49-35 in the final 20 minutes of play, but fall to 6-2 on the season and 1-2 in MSC play.
 
Steven Fitzgerald led the Patriots with 27 points on the night, 22 of which came in the second frame. The Somerset, KY native grabbed five rebounds and had two assists as well. Jahi Hinson netted 10 points, five rebounds, and two assists while Kamari Kenemore and Lamar Harris Jr. totaled eight points each.
 
Harris Jr. started the Pats night off with a slam assisted by Fitzgerald. A great defensive possession forced a turnover, leading to a Fitzgerald offensive rebound and lay in to give UC the 4-2 lead. Georgetown responded with a pair of buckets before Hinson, Matt Cromer, and Fitzgerald hit threes in three straight trips down the court, growing UC's lead to seven with 14 minutes left in the half.
 
GC went on a 14-0 run over the next eight minutes of play to take the 20-13 lead. This streak was broken by a backdoor cut and slam by J.J. Ramey off a Cromer bounce pass. The final six minutes of the opening half saw four points in the paint from Harris, and a Kamari Kenemore lay in and free throw while GC netted 20 points of their own. Georgetown went into the locker room up 40-22 after 20 minutes of play.
 
The Patriots opened the second half with a Fitzgerald tip-in followed by an Isaiah Payton triple. The Tigers hit two buckets of their own before a Cromer steal led to a Harris alley-oop, forcing a GC timeout with 16:32 remaining. Fitzgerald took over for nine of UC's next 11 points cutting the Tiger lead to ten. A Hinson jumper followed by a deep three from Ramey made it a five point game with 11:42 left in regulation.
 
Fitzgerald netted nine more points, leading a 12-6 UC run. Another Cromer triple put the Pats up 57-56, their first lead since the 14 minute mark of the first half. Both teams traded baskets over the next four minutes. J.J. Flores and Fitzgerald hit contested jumpers on straight possessions to even the score at 64 apiece with 4:49 left in the contest. GC scored five points before Hinson hit a jumper from the elbow. Fitzgerald drew a foul in the paint and knocked down both free throws the next possession making it a one point Tiger lead with just over two minutes on the clock.
 
Georgetown hit a layup the next trip down the court, but Kenemore responded with three free throws to tie the game back up at 71-71. Georgetown hit the front end of a one-and-one before missing the second with 11 seconds on the clock. Hinson grabbed the rebound and drove down the court but was called for an offensive foul, giving the Tigers the ball back. GC hit three more shots from the charity stripe to take the game 75-71.
 
Cumberlands will return on Saturday for a non-conference matchup at home against the Grenadiers of IU Southeast.
 
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