LEBANON, Tenn. - - Cumberland men's basketball used a dominant defensive effort and balanced scoring attack to open the season with a 74-53 win over Calumet College of St. Joseph on Friday night inside the Dallas Floyd Phoenix Arena.

The Phoenix raced out to an early double-digit lead behind a strong first half from senior forward Michael Nwoye, who was a force in the paint on both ends of the floor. Nwoye sparked the opening stretch with a dunk and layup off feeds from Triston Conger and Jaren Davis, quickly helping CU jump ahead 8-0. Calumet struggled to find any offensive rhythm against Cumberland's pressure, while Zaylin Rowland and Riggs Abner each connected from beyond the arc to extend the advantage to 15-6 midway through the first half.

Conger controlled the tempo for much of the half, scoring at all three levels and creating open looks for teammates. The Phoenix kept building their margin as Nwoye continued to dominate inside, adding a pair of blocks and another dunk before Jake Hatch buried a late three-pointer to push the lead near twenty. CU carried a 36-20 lead into the break after holding the Crimson Wave to just 26% shooting in the opening frame.

Calumet opened the second half with a brief run, but Cumberland quickly shut the door. Nwoye threw down back-to-back dunks to set the tone, and Conger's midrange jumper reestablished control. Rowland buried another triple from the wing, and from there the Phoenix rolled, turning defense into transition points with steals from Matthew Stokes and Rowland fueling fast-break layups.

Conger led the way for the Phoenix with a strong all-around performance, finishing with a team-high in points and several assists to pace the offense. Nwoye added a double-double effort anchored by his rim protection and rebounding, while Rowland and Davis each provided key shooting and defensive energy on the perimeter.  Cumberland's defense held Calumet to just 53 points and forced double-digit turnovers in the victory.

The Phoenix will return to action next week with a pair of games at home, taking on Welch College on Tuesday and Union Commonwealth on Saturday.