Williamsburg, KY – The seventh-ranked Patriots women's basketball team utilized an 18-4 run to close out the first quarter coupled with a career-high 24 points from
Jaiden Cox to earn the 78-66 win over Shawnee State Wednesday night on Randy Vernon Court. The win is UC's tenth win of the season, while the Bears move to 5-1 on the year.
Cox went 6-9 from behind the arc and added three assists.
Kassie Monday chipped in 14 points, four steals, and four rebounds, while
Kaylie Monday finished with 15 points and eight rebounds.
Lakin Burke added 13 points and six boards to go along with two steals.
The Patriots won the opening tip and on that possession,
LeeAnna McNulty found
Jaiden Cox in the corner for a three-pointer. Cox drained her second three-pointer two minutes later to extend the lead to 8-4. The two teams traded baskets over the next three minutes before
Kassie Monday found
Amy Thompson for a three-pointer to extend UC's lead to 16-8. Cumberlands went on a 7-2 run that was capped off with
Kaylie Monday finding
Kassie Monday for a three to make it 23-10 with 1:09 left in the first quarter. In the closing seconds of the quarter Cox found Burke in the post for a layup making it 28-12.
It was a defensive battle to open the second quarter before
Kassie Monday found
Kaylie Monday for three. The Patriots added putbacks from Cox and
Kylie Fultz to extend the lead to 35-16 with 6:34 remaining. After Shawnee State netted six unanswered points,
Kassie Monday converted a three-point play to make it 38-22 midway through the period. The Bears closed out the quarter on an 8-4 run however, Cumberlands took a 42-38 lead into the break.
On the Patriots first possession of the third quarter,
Kassie Monday found Cox for her fourth three-pointer of the game to make it 45-34. Shawnee State went on a 6-2 run to pull within seven however, Burke found Cox for a three-pointer extending the lead to 50-40 with 6:22 remaining.
Kaylie Monday sank a pair of free throws and found Cox for three to make it 56-44 with 3:01 left in the third quarter. SSU went on a 5-2 run to close out the quarter cutting the lead to 58-49.
The Bears opened the fourth quarter on an 8-2 run before
Kaylie Monday drained a three-pointer to make it 63-57 with 5:49 remaining. Two minutes later, Cox notched a steal and found
Kassie Monday for a transition layup as part of a 5-0 run making it 68-57 with 2:52 left. On the Patriots next possession, Cox added an eight foot floater to beat the shoot clock giving her a new career-high 24 points. The Patriots sank six straight from the charity stripe to close out the game for the 76-64 win.
Cumberlands returns to the court on Friday, December 6
th, when they travel to Cookeville, TN to face NCAA DI Tennessee Tech. It's an exhibition game with tip-off is set for 11 a.m.
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, TikTok- @ucpatriots, Youtube- Cumberlands Patriots, and Facebook by searching University of the Cumberlands Athletics.