LEBANON, Tenn.--Former Mid-South Conference rivals Cumberland and Tennessee Southern went toe-to-toe, but the Firehawks just edge out the Phoenix down the stretch to win 89-87 at the Dallas Floyd Phoenix Arena on Saturday. 

Cumberland (4-6) rallied from down eight in the final two minutes to have a chance on a half-court heave, but missed falling just short to lose both games of the season series against the Firehawks. 

Five Phoenix finished in double figures led by freshman Doyel Cockrill III. Cockrill had a season-high 19 points making five threes. Point guard Triston Conger had a great line with 15 points, eight assists, and six rebounds.

Cumberland's leading scorer Demarius Boyd finished with 16 points on 6-of-18 shooting. Boyd added five rebounds and five dimes. Jaheim Berry scored 12 points off the bench going 5-of-7 from the field with two threes and Demond Franklin added 11 points and five boards.

The Phoenix made 34-of-69 shots from the field to shot 49.3% from the field. Cumberland netted 13 three-pointers to shoot 43.3% from deep. Cumberland was out-rebounded 42-to-28 and had just five offensive rebounds. 

Tennessee Southern (10-2) went 37-of-65 from the field to shoot 56.9% from the field. The Firehawks made just 5-of-22 threes, but made their free throws down the stretch to hold on and get the win. 

Brady Brown led the Firehawks in points going for 20 points and eight rebounds. Adarion Hudson scored 18 points and had four rebounds and four assists. Tad Sivley added 14 points and seven rebounds. Kendall Wright and Malik Tyson each added 13 and 12, respectively.  

The action started early as Conger drilled a three on the opening possession. Khi Wallace dazzled early as the Phoenix three two alley oops to Wallace to get the crowd going early. Boyd drained two triples in the first five minutes to put Cumberland up 15-9. 

The first stoppage came with 10:42 left in the first and by then the Firehawks went on a 6-3 run with Cockrill draining a three from the wing to make the score 18-15. 

Out of the timeout, Conger put in a two-point basket to push the lead out to five, but back-to-back buckets from Sivley cut it to a one-point game. The Phoenix were able to reignite the crowd with their third oop of the game. This time it was Demond Franklin bringing the house down. After a quick transition bucket for Tennessee Southern, Cockrill drained his second triple to get back up by four, 25-21. 

Tennessee Southern came down and scored their next two possessions to tie the game at 25-25. The Phoenix went on a 5-0 run after that and later pushed the lead out to six after Jaheim Berry drained a triple and converted a tough lay up after. Franklin threw down a big alley opp on a baseline cut for the final two points for Cumberland in the half. Tennessee Southern scored the final four points to tied the game at 37-37 at intermission. 

The Phoenix started the second half flat as Tennessee Southern went on a 9-2 run in the first four minutes. Cockrill finally converted a tough layup through contact to stop the run trailing 46-41 with 15:28 left. 

The Firehawks scored the next four points, but Berry and Cockrill knocked down back-to-back threes to get back to a one possession game trailing 50-47. 

Brady Brown and Hudson went on a 5-0 run for Tennessee Southern as Hudson buried a three in traffic. Kamarie Coffey converted the and one three-point play to send us to the media down by five, 55-50. 

The Firehawks again went on a quick 4-0 spurt before Franklin knocked down a three from the left wing. Tennessee Southern quickly got a bucket after that to push it to a seven-point lead and furthered it as Sivley scored in the paint for a nine-point lead 59-50. 

Down by eight with nine minutes to play, Cumberland scored the next five points as Conger made a free throw and scored in the lane and Wallace got a tip-in to go to cut it to a one-possession game. 

The next three Firehawk possessions ended up with buckets to push the lead back out to seven, 69-62, but the Phoenix fight never stopped.

Holding on to that seven-point lead at 80-73 with two minutes to play, Boyd made a jumper to cut it, but on the other end Brown drilled a three for an eight point lead. 

Down by eight with 45 seconds left, Cockrill drilled a three and the Phoenix fouled and sent Hudson to the line. Hudson made both and again Cockrill quickly drained another triple to make it a four-point game with 27 seconds. 

Cumberland sent Brown to the line and he made both. The Phoenix tried another three pointer, but missed. Cumberland got a big offensive board and tip in from Franklin to keep answering, 87-83. 

This time the foul sent Kendall Wright to the line and he missed on the one-and-one giving Cumberland life. Franklin made a two to make it a two-point game. Malik Tyson made both free throws to get back to a two possession game with 10 seconds. 

On the next possession, Cumberland took just three seconds of the clock to score two points from Conger on a lay up and again fouled to end the Firehawks to the line. Hudson was at the line with five seconds and a chance to make it a four point game, but missed both as CU took their final timeout. 

The Phoenix had to go the length of the floor in three seconds as Boyd was forced to hurl a shot from well-beyond half court that clanked off the backboard as Tennessee Southern held on to get the win, 89-87. 

The Phoenix will be on the road at the Southeastern Classic in Florida next week as they take on the Fire and Florida College.