Box Score Pulaski, TN – The Patriots come up just short at the buzzer to fall to the University of Tennessee Southern Firehawks on Thursday night. UC moves to 11-3 on the year and 5-3 in MSC play.
Cumberlands shot 37.9% from the field, knocking down eight triples in the contest. Steven Fitzgerald led the way with 14 pts and 6 reb while Isaiah Payton tallied 11 pts, 3 reb, and 2 assts. Jahi Hinson, Matt Cromer, and Jadrian Flores scored seven points each while Andre Silva saw his first action of the season scoring 4 pts, and snagging a team-high 7 rebs.
The Firehawks opened the game with 7-0 run before a Harris steal and slam put UC on the board. A pair of Fitzgerald free throws and a Payton lay in made it 7-6 with just over 14 minutes remaining. A UTS bucket followed by an Austin Hall three evened the score at 9-9. Two Flores foul shots and Silva's first basket of the year gave the Pats their first lead of the game with 10:45 left in the half. Both teams traded buckets, with Silva knocking down another shot to make it 15-13.
A 6-4 UT Southern run tied the game back up at 19 apiece with six minutes remaining, all four of UC's points coming from Cromer. A basket in the paint from the Firehawks gave them a 21-19 lead into the second media timeout of the half. The final four minutes of the half saw a Flores three and 2 free throws, as well as a J.J. Ramey lay in off a full court pass from Fitzgerald. UTS netted nine points during this time to take a 29-26 lead into the locker room.
Harris backed his defender down for an easy lay in for the first points of the second half. The Firehawks responded with four straight points before Payton knocked down his first three of the night. Layups from Hinson and Harris tied the game at 35-35 with 16:59 left to play.
UTS regained their lead, extending it to five before a strong Fitzgerald finish in transition brought the score to 40-37. The Firehawks outscored UC 13-6 over the next six minutes of play to increase their lead to 10, Cumberlands only points coming from a Hinson jumper and free throw, and a Fitzgerald catch and shoot three in transition.
A Cromer triple ended a six-minute scoreless streak from the Patriots to make it 56-46 with 6:11 on the clock. A great defensive possession from UC led to a Hinson steal and bucket on the other end off a strong finish at the rim from Fitzgerald. The Patriots knocked down back-to-back threes out of Payton and Fitzgerald making it a two-point game. An offensive board from Hall kept the following possession alive, leading to a great finish from Hinson to tie the game with 3:23 left to play.
Tennessee Southern netted six straight before Payton banked in a three to make it 62-59 Firehawks with 23 seconds remaining. UC called their final timeout following a huge steal from Fitzgerald on the inbound. The Pats got a quick lay in from Fitzgerald to cut the deficit to one with 9 seconds remaining. Cumberlands were forced to foul, sending UTS to the foul line where they hit both. Payton dribbled the ball up the court off the inbound and put up a game-tying attempt that fell just short, as UC fell 64-61.
UC will stay in Tennessee as they travel to Lebanon to take on Cumberland University. The Patriots will face off against the Phoenix on Saturday at 4 PM ET.
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