BIRMINGHAM, Ala.--Cumberland Women's Basketball falls in an exhibition contest to NCAA Division I Samford 74-50. 

Cumberland shot 30.5% from the field and went 4-of-14 from three. The Phoenix also added 10 points from the line out of 16 tries. 

Kayla Gordon led the Phoenix in scoring posting 15 points on 5-of-12 shooting. She also went 5-of-8 from the charity stripe. Lindsey Freeman added double figure points with 10 on 4-of-8 shooting and was a rebound shy of a double-double with nine. Josie Harville and Emaleigh Tarpley each added five points apiece.

Samford shot 49.2% from the field scoring a big chunk of their points in the paint. The Bulldogs only went 3-of-18 from three, but also added 13-of-23 from the free throw line. A big difference in the game was the points off turnovers. Cumberland forced Samford into 12 turnovers, but were only able to get four points out of it. Samford forced Cumberland into 15 turnovers and scored 20 points from it. 

Samford had two players in double figures led by Carly Heidger with 20 points. She went 8-of-17 from the field and added nine rebounds. Emily Bowman also scored 14 points and had 14 rebounds to go with it for the double-double. 

The Phoenix started the game winning the tip and scoring on their first possession as Gordon knocked down a jumper in the paint, but that was the only lead Cumberland would have all night as Samford went on a 10-0 run after that. CU would cut it to six after Freeman scored on a turnover, but Samford pushed it out to a 10 point lead at 18-8. Cumberland went on a 5-0 run to close the first as Alyssa Goehring hit two free throws and Emaleogh Tarpley drilled a three for a 18-12 deficit. 

After two free throws for the Bulldogs started the second quarter, Freeman converted the next two baskets for Cumberland to get within four trailing 20-16. An 8-0 run over five minutes of gametime for Samford pushed the lead out to 28-16. The Phoenix would score just five more points in the quarter to trail 36-21 at the half. 

Cumberland had their best offensive quarter in the third scoring 19 points, but Samford matched Cumberland and one more scoring 20 points. Gordon scored seven points for the Phoenix in the stretch and six other Phoenix each scored one bucket for two points each in the quarter as CU trailed 56-40.

The Bulldogs pulled even further away in the fourth as they outscored Cumberland 18-10 for a 74-50 final score. 

Cumberland will now turn their attention to conference play that starts next Thursday at Freed-Hardeman. Tip-off for the game is slated for 5:30 p.m. The Cumberland Sports Network will be in attendance to call the game and all the conference games on WANT FM 98.9 and WCOR AM 1490.