Williamsburg, KY – The Patriots men's basketball team closed out the Cumberlands Classic in dominant fashion Friday evening, defeating Indiana University Southeast 92-75 inside the O. Wayne Rollins Center. The victory moves Cumberlands to 5-0 on the season as UC continued its offensive efficiency, knocking down 14 threes and shooting 84 percent from the free-throw line.
 
Kyle Duke led the way with 20 points and three assists, while Javecckio Thomas filled the stat sheet with 15 points, five rebounds, and two steals. Brady Bell added 14 points, hitting four threes, and Andrew McConnell followed with 13 points and three assists. Tanner Walton came off the bench to score eight and dish out a team-high four assists, while Shaw Daves provided a late spark with five points. Brant Smithers, Kyler McLendon, and Julian Miles each connected from beyond the arc for three points apiece, while Ikemba Otuonye added four points and five rebounds. Malachi Robinson and Anthony Harris chipped in two points apiece, and both provided key defensive plays.
 
Indiana Southeast struck first, jumping out to a 4-0 lead before Brant Smithers got UC on the board with a three from the corner. After a jumper from Duke and a layup by Thomas, the Patriots grabbed their first lead at 8-7 and never trailed again. Malachi Robinson's steal and dunk pushed the momentum further in UC's favor, followed by a pair of threes from McConnell that stretched the lead to double digits.
 
Thomas made his presence felt inside with an and-one finish, while Duke stayed hot from mid-range, scoring 10 first-half points in less than eight minutes. Bell connected on consecutive threes, and Walton buried another triple to make it 34-25 late in the half. Otuonye knocked down two free throws, and Duke capped the half with back-to-back layups to give the Patriots a 49-34 advantage at the break.
UC kept its foot on the gas after halftime as Thomas opened the scoring with a layup and free throw to extend the lead to 18. Duke added a strong drive through the lane before Bell sank a pair of free throws to push the margin past 20.
 
McConnell continued his efficient night with a fast-break dunk and a deep three, while Thomas added another layup and a steal that led to a Kyler McLendon corner three. Bell hit two more triples in the second half, including one in transition from McConnell's assist that brought the crowd to its feet. Late in the game, Walton found freshman Julian Miles for a three before Shaw Daves closed things out with his first collegiate points off a three and a fast-break layup to seal the 92-75 win.
Cumberlands shot 41.9 percent from the field and 42.4 percent from beyond the arc, hitting a season-high 14 threes. The Patriots shared the ball effectively with 14 assists on 31 made shots and won the turnover battle 17-10, converting those mistakes into 28 points. UC also tallied 13 second-chance points off 11 offensive rebounds while holding IUSE to 18.8 percent shooting from deep.
 
Cumberlands (5-0) will return to action Monday, November 10, when they travel to Knoxville, Tenn., to take on Johnson University at 7:30 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.