Williamsburg, KY – The Patriots utilized a huge second half to come from behind and take down the second-ranked Freed-Hardeman Lions in Williamsburg on Thursday night. UC outscored FHU 44-35 in the second half to take the 78-75 victory, moving to 13-4 on the season and 2-0 in MSC competition. Cumberlands found success at the free throw line, going 18-22 at the charity stripe.
 
Anthony Johnson led all scorers with 25 points, eight rebounds, two assists, and a steal while Harry Morrice added a double-double with 14 points, 11 boards, and two blocks. Anthony Harris scored a season-high 12 points with nine rebounds and two blocks, followed by Matthew Cromer who finished with 11 pts, 1 reb, and 2 stl.
 
FHU jumped out to a quick 6-1 lead before a steal from Robertas Jonaitis led to a slam from Johnson on the other end. Jonaitis then knocked down a free throw and a layup on two straight possessions to make it 10-6 with the Lions still on top. Two more FHU baskets increased their lead to eight, but the Pats responded with a 9-0 run to take their first lead of the game. Tajahri Cave started the scoring with a nice layup before Harris scored four points of his own. Cave then found Brady Bell in the corner with a great pass which led to a three to give UC the 15-14 advantage with 11:32 to play in the half.
 
The Lions halted the run with four points of their own followed by DJ Jones first basket of the night. Two buckets from Matthew Cromer and a Johnson three kept it at a one-point game with just over six minutes before halftime. After two more Lions buckets, back-to-back slams from Morrice and Bell evened things up at 28-28. Freed then ended the half on a 12-6 run to take a six-point lead into the half, 40-34. UC's only points in the final five minutes came from a pair of Johnson three pointers.
 
The second half started with two free throws from Morrice, followed by Johnson's fourth triple of the game. An and-one from Cromer tied things up once again, but not for long as FHU responded with three points of their own. Harris crashed the offensive glass the next possession, leading to an easy layup to make it a one-point game. FHU added seven straight points to take an eight-point lead, their biggest of the half. Johnson stopped the run with his fifth three off another assist from Cave. A pair of mid-range jumpers out of Harris and Cave then cut the deficit to three before another and-one, this time from Johnson, tied the game at 54-54 with 11:09 remaining.
 
After a made FT from the Lions, Johnson went 2-2 from the charity stripe to give UC their first lead of the second half. An FHU layup gave the lead right back, but not for long as five points from Morrice put UC up by four. This stretch was highlighted by a huge block from Harris leading to another slam from Morrice on the other end. The Pats continued to show their athleticism at the rim as Jones flew down the court and threw an underhand lob to Harris who finished the alley-oop with a one-hand jam, increasing UC's lead to six with seven minutes on the clock.
 
The second-ranked Lions were not going down without a fight, as they clawed their way back to a 63-63 ballgame. Morrice came up huge for the Patriots once again with a put back dunk that got the O. Wayne Rollins Center on their feet. Back-to-back and-ones from Johnson and Morrice grew the lead to eight with 3:12 left to play. FHU battled back once again, pulling to within two with just over a minute left.
 
The Lions were forced to foul, sending Jones and Cromer to the foul line, where they went 3-4 to take a five-point lead. Freed-Hardeman responded with a contested three that fell, moving the score to 76-74 UC. The Lions would force a turnover with 15 seconds to go, down two, but Cromer shut down their hopes, taking possession right back with his second steal of the night. He then iced the game, making both free throws to put UC up 78-74 with just eight second left. A late UC foul moved FHU within three, followed by an offensive rebound that sent the Lions back to the line. They were forced to attempt a missed-free throw but could not come up with the offensive board as the Pats secure the ball and the victory, 78-75.
 
 UC will look to ride this momentum into Saturday as they face off against Bethel University at home. Tip off is slated for 3 PM ET.
 
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