PULASKI, Tenn.--Cumberland women’s basketball played incredible defense holding Tennessee Southern to 39 points on the road in a 50-39 win over the Firehawks. 

Cumberland (12-11, 8-10 MSC) held an opponent to under 50 points for the first time in four years. It didn’t come easy as Cumberland struggled from the field early on, but knocked down shots in the second half to push it out to a double-figure win. 

Brittany Miller scored a team-high 12 points with eight boards while only playing 27 minutes, missing much of the second half in foul trouble. Lauren King and Alaina Rongos each added seven points. Keara Sexton and Abby Morgan each chipped in six apiece. 

Tennessee Southern (6-17, 3-15 MSC) were held to under 30% from the field at 28% shooting and 21.1% on three-pointers.

Mary Mackie was the only Firehawk in double figures with 15 points. Mackie jacked up 14 triples converting on three. 

Tennessee Southern made the first basket of the game, but the Phoenix answered with seven straight points with a big three from Rongos. The Firehawks scored the next five points to tie it at 7-7. The game would remain tied after the first quarter at 11-11. Cumberland took 10 more shots than the Firehawks in the quarter, but went just 4-of-22 from the field in the quarter.

First basket of the second quarter came after three minutes of scoreless action with an and-one conversion from Gordon. That sparked a 5-2 run for Gordon where the score would be 16-13 at the second quarter media stoppage. 

Cumberland made just three points in the half, but fortunately Cumberland held Tennessee Southern to just six points in the quarter to lead 19-16. After a slow first half offensively, the play picked offensively for both sides. Cooper tied the game quickly with a triple out of the half. Both sides would swap baskets up to a 29-28 game. Cumberland would create some separation at the end of the quarter as Sexton hit a 19-foot jumper and King buried a three from the right wing to push it to a five-point lead, 34-29.

Davis scored the first basket of the fourth and Swafford went one-of-two from the line to give Cumberland an eight point lead. The Firehawks scored the next three points, but a 4-0 spurt for the Phoenix pushed it out to nine. 

Tennessee Southern again cut it to a five-point lead with 3:23 to play at 41-36, but Cumberland locked teh Firehawks down the rest of the game and pushed it out to an 11-point lead and win at 47-36.  

The Phoenix will be on the road next week to take on the University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg on Thursday and then will take on Georgetown in Georgetown on Saturday.