New Albany, IN– The 9th-ranked Patriots men's basketball team remained unbeaten Monday night, earning a hard-fought 76-68 road win over Indiana University Southeast. Cumberlands used a dominant first half and key defensive plays down the stretch to secure its tenth straight victory of the season.
 
Kyle Duke led the way with 22 points, going 6-17 from the floor, 4-8 from three, and a perfect 6-6 from the free-throw line. Javecckio Thomas tallied 10 points and nine rebounds while converting all six of his free throws, and Andrew McConnell added 10 points and five rebounds. Brant Smithers chipped in 10 points off the bench, and Malachi Robinson anchored the defense with eight points, five rebounds, three blocks, and three steals. Anthony Harris finished with seven points, and Tanner Walton continued his steady all-around play with four points, four rebounds, five assists, and three steals.
 
Cumberlands came out firing, opening the game on a 7-0 run behind a Malachi Robinson layup, a McConnell three, and two free throws from Duke. After an IU Southeast bucket, Brady Bell buried a three from the wing to make it 10-2 just two and a half minutes in. Thomas added a strong finish inside, and McConnell scored on a drive through the lane to keep UC in control at 16-8. Midway through the half, Duke caught fire from beyond the arc, knocking down three straight threes to push the lead to 26-10 with 13:05 remaining.
 
The Patriots continued their first-half surge as Anthony Harris drilled a three to cap a 32-10 run, then added a layup from Duke to extend the margin to 24. Thomas and Robinson each added buckets in the paint, and Smithers hit from deep before UC went into halftime leading 52-31 after a late fast-break layup from Walton off a steal by Smithers.
 
IU Southeast started the second half with a quick 5-0 burst, but Cumberlands weathered the storm. Robinson halted the run with a steal and transition layup to make it 54-36, and moments later, Thomas hit four straight free throws to steady the Patriots at 58-50. A Smithers jumper and corner three stretched the lead back to double digits at 63-53 with ten minutes remaining.
 
The Grenadiers kept fighting, trimming the lead to five on multiple occasions, but Cumberlands came up with clutch plays down the stretch. Anthony Harris threw down a dunk on a Duke assist to make it 67-58, and McConnell followed with a midrange jumper to keep the Patriots up 11. Smithers and Thomas each added free throws late, and Duke's layup with just over three minutes left put the game out of reach as UC closed out the 76-68 victory.
Cumberlands shot 41.9 percent from the field, 40 percent from beyond the arc, and 87.5 percent from the free-throw line while holding IU Southeast to 41.5 percent shooting. The Patriots forced 10 turnovers, scored 16 points off those miscues, and got 23 points from their bench in the win.
 
Cumberlands (10-0) will return home on Friday, December 5, to open the Cumberlands Classic against Saint Mary-of-the-Woods at 6 PM inside the O. Wayne Rollins Center.
 
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