Pippa Passes, KY – The 12th-ranked Patriots men's basketball team continued their unbeaten start Tuesday night, defeating Alice Lloyd 94-81 inside the Perry Center. Cumberlands used a dominant rebounding effort and balanced offense to secure their ninth straight win to open the season, outscoring the Eagles 51-38 in the second half.
Tanner Walton turned in a career night, recording his first career double-double with 14 points, a career-high 14 rebounds, and a personal best seven assists.
Javecckio Thomas paced the Patriots with a season-high 21 points on 9-of-14 shooting while adding nine rebounds, two blocks, and a steal.
Andrew McConnell continued his strong play with 19 points and seven rebounds, and
Brant Smithers poured in 17 points with five boards.
Anthony Harris added nine points off the bench, while
Malachi Robinson finished with eight points, five rebounds, and a team-high five blocks.
The game opened with both teams trading buckets throughout the first half. Thomas scored UC's first four points, including a thunderous dunk, before McConnell connected on a pair of threes to put the Patriots up 12-10 early.
Midway through the half, Smithers knocked down a corner three, and Harris came off the bench to score seven straight, helping UC regain a brief lead. Walton's put-back layup in the closing seconds tied the game at 43 heading into the break.
Cumberlands came out of halftime with energy on both ends of the floor. Thomas converted two layups in the paint to open the period, and Smithers drilled a deep three to push UC in front 52-49. Around the 10-minute mark, Walton sparked a 13-4 run with a three-point play and two offensive rebounds that led to second-chance points.
McConnell added a fast-break jumper to make it 70-65, and Smithers followed with another triple to extend the lead to 10 with just over eight minutes remaining. Walton continued to control the boards down the stretch, finding Thomas on a backdoor cut for a dunk before sealing the win with a layup in the final seconds as UC pulled away, 94-81.
Cumberlands finished the night shooting 48.1 percent from the field while dominating the glass 60-30, including 24 offensive rebounds that turned into 31 second-chance points. The Patriots also tallied 17 assists on 37 made shots and forced eight blocks on the defensive end.
Cumberlands (9-0) will return to action on Monday, December 1, when they travel to Indiana University Southeast for a 6 PM matchup.
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