WILLIAMSBURG, Ky – The Patriots men's basketball team put together another strong performance Tuesday night, defeating Union Commonwealth University (Ky.) 96-78 inside Randy Vernon Court to move to 2-0 on the young season. Cumberlands shot 50.7 percent from the field and had five players score in double figures to remain perfect at home.
 
Leading the way for UC was Andrew McConnell and Kyle Duke, who each poured in 23 points. McConnell went 8-13 from the field, including 5-8 from three, while Duke was 6-14 and a perfect 11-11 from the free throw line. Javecckio Thomas provided a huge spark off the bench with 15 points on 7-7 shooting, while Abraham Ibezimakor added nine points and a team-high nine rebounds. Brady Bell chipped in 10 points and five boards, and Malachi Robinson grabbed four rebounds and tallied a steal.
 
The Patriots found themselves down early 7-2 before Duke and McConnell combined to score the next eight points to give UC their first lead. A three from McConnell and back-to-back layups by Thomas and Brant Smithers helped the Patriots extend their advantage to 18-11 midway through the half.
 
Ibezimakor converted an and-one and followed it with a layup to make it a 27-16 game before Robinson added consecutive buckets in the paint. UC's pressure forced turnovers that led to fast-break points from Bell and Thomas, who scored nine in the first half. Duke knocked down a pair of free throws and McConnell finished a layup off a steal from Anthony Harris to cap off the half with Cumberlands leading 49-27.
 
Union Commonwealth made a brief run to open the second half, but UC quickly settled in. Ibezimakor scored inside to stop the surge before Duke took over with a pair of layups and a three-point play. Tanner Walton added a transition three, and McConnell caught fire, knocking down back-to-back triples to push the lead to 20.
 
 Thomas continued his efficient night with two more layups and a dunk midway through the half as UC's lead ballooned to 77-48. Bell hit a corner three off a Thomas assist, and McConnell connected on two more threes late to seal the 96-78 victory for the Patriots.
 
UC dominated the stat sheet, shooting 85.7 percent (18-21) from the free-throw line after struggling in the opener. The Patriots controlled the boards, outrebounding the Bulldogs 39-27 overall and 12-5 on the offensive glass, leading to 14 second-chance points. UC also outscored Union Commonwealth 42-38 in the paint and forced 15 turnovers that turned into 18 points.

Cumberlands (2-0) will return to action on Saturday, November 1, when they travel to Portsmouth, Ohio, to take on Shawnee State University. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 PM
 
For the latest and most up-to-date information on University of the Cumberlands Athletics please visit www.cumberlandspatriots.com. Follow us on X - @UC_Patriots and @UCPatsGameday, Instagram- @UCPatriots, TikTok- @ucpatriots, YouTube- Cumberlands Patriots, and Facebook by searching University of the Cumberlands Athletics.