Williamsburg, KY – The third-seed Patriots had four players in double figures as they knocked off sixth-seed Bryan 86-65 in the second round of the NAIA Tournament presented by Ballogy Saturday afternoon on Randy Vernon Court. Cumberlands advances to the NAIA Round of 16 for the second straight year and improve to 24-9 overall.
Kaylie Monday led the way for UC with 19 points, five rebounds, and three steals, while
Lakin Burke tallied 18 points and eight rebounds.
Kassie Monday tallied her third double-double of the season with 15 points and a season-high 12 assists. She now becomes the first Patriot player to recorded at least 200 assists in multiple seasons.
Channing Lewis chipped in 10 points, seven rebounds, and four assists.
The two teams traded baskets to open the game before Lewis found
Kaylie Monday behind-the-arc for a three-pointer putting UC in front 7-4. Burke added a pair of layups as part of a 6-0 run to extend the lead to 13-8 midway through the first quarter.
Kaylie Monday added four points and an assist, before
Joy Kendrick converted a layup on a backdoor cut to give Cumberlands the 21-18 advantage.
Kassie Monday notched a steal and two assists as part of a 7-2 run to open the second quarter. Bryan pulled within three two minutes later, however, Monday led the answered scoring four of the Patriots next six points to make it 34-29 with 5:36 remaining.
Destiny Haworth drained a three-pointer as part of a 9-2 run that spanned three minutes to give UC the 43-31 edge. After Lewis hit a three,
Kaylie Monday grabbed an offensive rebound and jumper in the closing seconds of the half to make it 48-35.
Just over two minutes into the third quarter Haworth sank a three-pointer as part of a 7-2 run to give the Patriots an 18-point advantage, 55-37. Bryan hit back-to-back three-pointers before
Kassie Monday found Burke on the block for a layup and added a jumper to make it 59-43 with 4:40 remaining.
Kassie Monday added a pair of assists, including one to
Victory Fredricks in the closing seconds of the quarter to make it 66-46.
Kendrick and Fredricks combined for UC's first six points of the fourth quarter to extend the lead to 72-48 with 8:29 remaining. The Lions went on a 13-5 run to pull within 16 points, before UC responded with six unanswered points.
Kaylie Monday tallied her 100
th steal of the season, become just the second Patriot player to reach that milestone and ran a give-and-go to cap off the run. On the next Patriot possession,
Jaiden Cox added a spinning layup as Cumberlands earned the 86-65 final.
The Patriots outrebounded the Lions 39-29 and held a 22-11 advantage on assists. Cumberlands advances to the NAIA Round of 16 for the sixth time in program history and it marks just the third time program history that UC has won multiple games in the national tournament in the same season.
Cumberlands returns to the court Friday, March 22, when they face seventh-seed Dakota Wesleyan. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. (ET) in Sioux City, IA.
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