WILLIAMSBURG, KY – The No. 10 Patriots men's basketball team opened the 2026-27 season in dominant fashion Friday night, defeating Simmons College of Kentucky 102-67 inside the O. Wayne Rollins Center. Cumberlands took control early behind an efficient offensive performance and aggressive defense, placing all 12 players in the scoring column while shooting 51.9% from the field. The victory moves UC to 1-0 on the season.
Brant Smithers and
Javecckio Thomas led the Patriots with 19 points apiece. Smithers connected on five three-pointers, with his opening basket marking his 1,000th career collegiate point. Thomas shot 8-of-12 from the field while adding four assists.
Trey Johnson impressed in his Patriot debut, finishing with 13 points on 4-of-8 shooting, while
Abraham Ibezimakor recorded a double-double with 12 points and a game-high 13 rebounds, including nine offensive boards.
Tanner Walton and
Malachi Robinson added seven points each, while
Tajahri Cave made an immediate impact in his return to Williamsburg, recording six points, a game-high 10 assists, and five steals.
Jhamien Smith and
Iago Stanback chipped in five points apiece,
Zubin Davidson added four,
Kendall Phillips scored three, and
Julian Miles finished with two as every Patriot reached the scoring column.
Cumberlands wasted little time establishing control as Smithers drilled a three just four seconds into the game, reaching the 1,000-point milestone in his collegiate career. Smithers followed with another triple before Thomas connected from deep and threw down a dunk off a Cave assist to give UC an 11-2 lead.
Trey Johnson converted a three-point play to extend the advantage to 14-4, and Thomas added another dunk in transition following a Cave steal. Smithers continued his hot start with his third three-pointer, pushing the lead to 21-6 with just over 15 minutes remaining.
The Patriots continued to build separation midway through the half as Ibezimakor scored inside and Johnson added another layup to make it 28-13. Smithers followed with a jumper before
Jhamien Smith threw down a fast-break dunk and connected from beyond the arc to extend the advantage to 35-15. With just over eight minutes remaining, Cave came away with a steal and finished with a dunk in transition to push the lead to 39-17. Another Smithers three made it 43-19, while Thomas added a fast-break layup off a Cave assist as UC continued to control the game. Late baskets from Phillips, Johnson, Ibezimakor, and Miles helped the Patriots carry a 56-36 lead into halftime.
Cumberlands picked up right where it left off to begin the second half. Walton scored in transition before Robinson and Thomas threw down consecutive fast-break dunks, with Cave recording another steal and assist on Thomas' finish to make it 62-36. Thomas followed with back-to-back baskets inside, and Smithers connected on his fifth three-pointer to extend the lead to 71-44. The Patriots continued to dominate the glass, with Ibezimakor scoring on consecutive possessions before Walton knocked down a three to give UC an 80-50 advantage with just over 11 minutes remaining.
The Patriots maintained their comfortable lead throughout the final stretch. Cave scored twice inside, while Thomas and Robinson added baskets to push the margin to 30 at 94-64. Ibezimakor continued his strong work on the offensive glass, and Davidson scored twice in the paint as UC's bench contributed throughout the second half. Stanback capped the offensive performance with a three-pointer and a layup in the final two minutes, pushing the Patriots past the century mark and securing the 102-67 victory.
Cumberlands shot 51.9% from the field, connecting on 41-of-79 attempts while knocking down 10 three-pointers. The Patriots dominated the boards 42-27, including 24 offensive rebounds that led to 24 second-chance points. UC also recorded 22 assists, 12 steals, and forced 19 Simmons turnovers, turning those opportunities into 24 points. The Patriots finished with 56 points in the paint and 44 points off the bench.
Cumberlands (1-0) will return to action Saturday, October 31, when the Patriots travel to Barbourville, KY to face Union Commonwealth University. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 PM.
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