WILLIAMSBURG, Ky. – Behind a career night from Abraham Ibezimakor and a strong second-half performance, the No. 10 Cumberlands men's basketball team remained unbeaten Tuesday night, defeating Johnson University 71-64 inside the O. Wayne Rollins Center and Randy Vernon Court. The Patriots overcame an early nine-point deficit before building a 14-point advantage in the second half, holding off a late Royals rally to improve to 6-0 on the season. UC dominated the offensive glass, pulling down 17 offensive rebounds and scoring 14 second-chance points in the victory.
Ibezimakor led the Patriots with career highs of 14 points and 15 rebounds, recording his third double-double of the season in just 17 minutes of action. The senior forward shot 5-of-7 from the field and 4-of-6 from the free-throw line while grabbing five offensive rebounds and 10 defensive boards. Brant Smithers followed with 13 points, knocking down two three-pointers, while Trey Johnson added 11 points and five rebounds. Tanner Walton contributed nine points and six rebounds, while Malachi Robinson and Javecckio Thomas finished with eight points and five rebounds apiece.
Cumberlands struggled to find its rhythm early as Johnson University opened the contest with nine unanswered points to take a 9-0 lead. Thomas got the Patriots on the board with a layup before Smithers added a free throw to make it 9-3. Ibezimakor then entered the game and immediately made an impact, scoring inside off a Cave assist to cut the deficit to four. After the Royals extended their lead to 13-5, Robinson converted a free throw before Ibezimakor scored three straight points to bring UC within four at 13-9. Robinson followed with a layup to make it 13-11 with just over 11 minutes remaining.
The Patriots continued to battle back as Johnson grabbed an offensive rebound and scored inside to tie the game at 13-13. Cave followed with a layup to give UC its first lead of the night at 15-13, but the Royals answered with six straight points to move back in front 19-15. Smithers knocked down a three-pointer off an Ibezimakor assist before Walton converted a pair of free throws to cut the deficit to one. Jhamien Smith then tied the game at 21-21 from the charity stripe before Ibezimakor scored off an offensive rebound to put Cumberlands ahead 23-21. Smithers added a layup, and Ibezimakor converted another free throw as UC carried a narrow 26-25 advantage into halftime.
Cumberlands came out with renewed energy to begin the second half as Walton scored inside before Thomas threw down a dunk off a Cave assist to extend the lead to 30-26. Robinson added a free throw before Smithers converted a pair from the line and Robinson scored inside to push the advantage to 35-28. Smithers then knocked down his second three-pointer of the night to make it 38-30 with just over 15 minutes remaining. Johnson followed with consecutive baskets before Ibezimakor scored inside to give the Patriots a 44-33 advantage midway through the half.
The Patriots continued to build separation as Ibezimakor added another layup and converted two free throws to push the lead to 48-35. Walton followed with a jumper, and Julian Miles scored inside before Jhamien Smith added a free throw to give UC its largest lead of the night at 53-39 with 9:43 remaining. The Royals responded with a run, cutting the deficit to 55-48 before Thomas converted a free throw and scored off an offensive rebound to extend the advantage to 59-51. Walton then knocked down a three-pointer, and Robinson threw down a dunk off a Thomas assist to make it 64-55 with just under four minutes remaining.
Johnson University refused to go away, trimming the margin to 67-64 with just over a minute left. Smithers responded with a crucial layup to extend the lead to five before Johnson converted a pair of free throws in the closing seconds to secure the 71-64 victory.
UC shot 36.9% from the field and 16.7% from beyond the arc but made up for its shooting struggles with a strong effort on the glass. The Patriots outrebounded the Royals 43-35, including a 17-7 advantage in offensive rebounds, while scoring 38 points in the paint. UC also forced 15 turnovers, converting those into 18 points, and received 29 points from its bench. Defensively, the Patriots held Johnson to just 37% shooting in the first half and limited the Royals to 64 points overall.
Cumberlands (6-0) returns to action Thursday, November 12, when the Patriots welcome Rio Grande to the O. Wayne Rollins Center and Randy Vernon Court in Williamsburg.
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