LEBANON, Tenn.--Abby Morgan had a career-best 20 points and Britany Miller added her first double-double of the year behind 14 second-half points. Phoenix outpaced Pensacola Christian in the second-half winning 79-64.

Cumberland (2-1, 1-1 MSC) scored 25 points in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach and the Phoenix defense came out to play in the third holding the Eagles to nine third-quarter points. The Phoenix shot 37.3% (25-67) from the field tonight and only hit four three-pointers out of 23 attempts, but Cumberland drew several fouls and knocked down 25-of29 free throw attempts.

Cumberland's post play was stellar tonight as they racked up a season-high 46 rebounds and scored 18 second-chance points. The Phoenix also scored 36 points off the bench led by Morgan's 20 point game.

Miller posted her first double-double of the season and the sixth of her career scoring 16 points and collecting 10 offensive rebounds. Lindsey Freeman scored nine points and managed three boards. Gracie Johnson and scored eight points on three shooting attempts and Gracie Bush eight points while dishing four assists.

Pensacola Christian (3-1) started the game off hot hitting seven first-half threes but struggled out the gate in the second-half allowing  Cumberland to build a sizeable lead. Lauren Alvarez scored a game-high 24 points on 8-of-17 shooting including four triples and Sandy McElhaney scored 19 points and picked up six boards and four blocks.

Cumberland scored the opening points of the game as Miller hit a layup on the first possession, but Pensacola Christian answered that eight points of their own hitting two threes to jump ahead 8-2. Abby Morgan cut it to an 11-10 deficit after hitting a three before the media timeout.

The three sparked a 7-0 Cumberland run before McElhaney finally hit a three and then Morgan added another layup and Lucy Chilcutt drilled a three from the corner to end the first quarter with Phoenix ahead, 20-16.

Neither team could gain an advantage in the second quarter as Pensacola Christian scored six straight points after a layup by Morgan to tie the game at 22-22. Both teams would trade blows only getting up by one or two before a three by Gracie Johnson finally pushed the lead out to three with 30 seconds left in the half. Jenna Wolford answered it on the next possession to tie the game at halftime, 39-39.

The third quarter started much like the first, but after Britany Miller hit two free throws to give Cumberland a 45-44 lead, Cumberland held Pensacola Christian scoreless for the next six minutes. However, Cumberland fell cold over that stretch as well only working up a six-point lead entering the fourth. 

Pensacola Christian cut it to a one-point game in the opening minutes of the fourth after a three and two-point jumper from McElhaney, but that was a close as the Eagles would get. Cumberland went on an 11-1 run over the next three minutes as Bush hit a layup, Miller scored four straight points in the paint, Freeman drilled a three from the corner and Morgan made a layup after a nice ball fake in the paint. 

That Phoenix rode that momentum and got it all the way out to a 17-point lead before finishing it out winning 79-64.

Cumberland was scheduled to head to McKenzie, Tennessee to take on Bethel tomorrow, but that game has been postponed. Cumberland will play No. 9 Shawnee State on December 16 at 5:30 p.m. inside the Dallas Floyd Phoenix Arena.