BARBOURVILLE, Ky. – Behind a dominant performance from Trey Johnson and a commanding effort on the glass, the No. 10 Patriots held off longtime rival Union Commonwealth 79-75 Saturday afternoon. Cumberlands built a 14-point first-half lead and withstood a second-half rally from the Bulldogs to improve to 2-0 on the season. UC controlled the boards throughout the contest, pulling down 49 rebounds, including 17 offensive boards, to help secure its first road victory of the year.
Johnson led the way with a game-high 32 points off the bench, shooting 10-of-19 from the field, including 4-of-9 from three-point range, while converting 8-of-9 free throws. The senior guard scored 21 points in the second half and added six rebounds, three assists, and a block. Tajahri Cave followed with 12 points, seven rebounds, and three steals, while Brant Smithers finished with 10 points and two steals. Abraham Ibezimakor contributed nine points and eight rebounds, including four offensive boards, while Tanner Walton added eight points and a team-high 10 rebounds, five of which came on the offensive glass.
Cumberlands opened the contest aggressively on the boards, grabbing four offensive rebounds on its opening possession before Javecckio Thomas finished inside for the first points of the afternoon. Union responded to take an early 5-2 lead, but Cave scored inside before Johnson knocked down a three to put UC back in front 7-5. Ibezimakor added a layup, and Johnson connected on another triple to extend the advantage to 12-7 with just over 12 minutes remaining. Smithers followed with a jumper before Johnson scored on consecutive possessions, including a three-point play off a steal, to give the Patriots a 19-10 lead midway through the half.
The Patriots continued to control the glass and create extra opportunities as the half progressed. Cave scored inside to make it 21-12 before Jhamien Smith added a jumper to push the advantage to double digits. Ibezimakor then converted a layup and followed with a putback after an offensive rebound to extend the lead to 27-15. Julian Miles added a jumper to give UC its largest lead of the half at 29-15 with just under four minutes remaining. Union answered with a 10-0 run to cut the deficit to four, but Smithers knocked down a pair of free throws and Cave added another from the line in the closing seconds to send Cumberlands into halftime ahead 32-25.
Cumberlands opened the second half with strong defensive pressure as Walton and Robinson each recorded steals before Smithers converted three free throws to extend the lead to 35-25. Walton followed with a jumper to make it 38-27, but Union continued to chip away, eventually trimming the margin to 42-38. Ibezimakor responded with a layup and free throw to push the advantage back to seven. The Bulldogs continued their rally, cutting UC's lead to 46-44 with just over 12 minutes remaining, but Johnson grabbed an offensive rebound and scored inside before Cave added a layup to make it 50-44. Johnson then knocked down a three and scored off a Walton steal to extend the lead to 55-46 midway through the half.
Union refused to go away, cutting the deficit to 64-61 with just over four minutes remaining. Johnson delivered a crucial defensive play, blocking a three-point attempt before Cave came away with a steal and Johnson finished at the rim to make it 66-61. After Union trimmed the margin to three again, Walton connected on a three-pointer to extend the lead to 69-63 with 2:30 remaining. Johnson followed with another triple to push the advantage to 72-65 before converting four free throws over the next minute to help secure the victory. Despite a late push from the Bulldogs, the Patriots held on for the 79-75 win.
Cumberlands shot 36.8% from the field and 18.5% from three but made up for its shooting struggles with a dominant effort on the glass. UC outrebounded Union 49-35, including a 17-4 advantage in offensive rebounds, creating additional scoring opportunities throughout the contest. The Patriots finished with 18 points off turnovers, and 47 points from the bench while forcing 17 Union turnovers. Defensively, UC held the Bulldogs to just 28% shooting in the first half and recorded 12 steals and four blocks in the win.
The Patriots (2-0) return home on Tuesday, November 3, when they welcome No. 21 Pikeville to the O. Wayne Rollins Center and Randy Vernon Court. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 PM in Williamsburg.
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