McKenzie, TN – Six Patriots finish in double figures as UC took down the Bethel Wildcats 95-67 on the road, Thursday night. #6 Cumberlands move to 18-1 on the year and are a perfect 4-0 on MSC play.
 
The Patriots shot 59.4% from the field, their second highest shooting performance pf the year. Robertas Joanitis led all scores with 17 points while Jonathan Brown was just behind him with 16 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Harry Morrice added 15 pts, 4 blks, and 2 reb for UC with DJ Jones also making an impact on both sides of the floor as he finished with 13 points, 4 steals, three rebounds, and three assists. J.J. Ramey netted 13 points and grabbed 6 boards while Matthew Cromer rounded out the Pats double digit scorers with 10 points respectively.
 
The Pats jumped out to an 11-4 lead over the first three minutes of play, forcing a Wildcat timeout. Brown started the game with a nice jumper and added a catch and shoot three a couple of possessions later. Cromer found Jonaitis twice for a pair of baskets while Ramey added a lay in as well. BU added a couple of made shots before Brown nailed his second three of the night to go up six. UC's lead grew to 10 behind seven quick points from Ramey. Jonaitis added another lay in accompanied by a pair of FT's from Jones as the score moved to 25-15 with 10:35 on the clock.
 
Jonaitis and Morrice added four straight for the Pats, who continued to find success in the paint. The next possession, Jones drove right down the lane for a nice finish and then took a charge on the other end. This Wildcat turnover led to another Morrice basket off a Jones pass as UC's lead increased to 11. This was the front end of a 15-0 run for UC that gave them a 42-22 lead. Jones continued to dominate, adding a pair of steals and a nice layup in transition. Brown added four points before a Matthew Cromer triple capped off the run and forced another Bethel timeout. The final three minutes of the half saw Morrice make a statement on the defensive end with a couple of nice blocks followed by layups from Cromer and Brown as UC led 47-30 into the break.
 
The second half started with a quick Brown basket. The next possession Jones added his fifth steal of the night and found Ramey off a full-court baseball style pass for an easy lay. Jonaitis added five points in a row for UC before Tanner Walton knocked down two free throws to go back up by 19. The Wildcats responded with two foul shots of their own before a Tajahri Cave lay in and back-to-back baskets from Morrice made it a 65-43 UC lead with 14:55 to play.
 
Cromer and Jones combined for the next 12 Cumberlands points as their lead stayed at 12 for the following five minutes. BU hit a layup on the offensive end before Jonaitis finished an easy basket off a nice pass from Brown. Morrice came up with a huge block the next trip down the court, sending it back to half court where Anthony Johnson scooped it up and scored his first points of the game. The big man continued to make his presence known as he nailed a three pointer and scored his second dunk of the night to grow UC's lead to 25.
 
The remainder of the game saw UC's lead get up to 31, their largest of the night, before a late BU three brought the final score to 95-67.
 
Cumberlands look ahead to Saturday where they will faceoff against the seventh ranked Freed Hardeman Lions. Gametime is slated for 4 PM in Henderson, TN.
 
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