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Cumberland University

Brunetti
65
Cumberland (TN) CU 6-3
76
Winner St. Francis (IL) USF 5-0
Cumberland (TN) CU
6-3
65
Final
76
St. Francis (IL) USF
5-0
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Cumberland (TN) CU 29 36 65
St. Francis (IL) USF 39 37 76

Next Game:

Dalton State College

12/2/2025 | 7:00 PM

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Full Schedule
Dec. 02 (Tue) / 7:00 PM
 Dalton State College
History

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Phoenix Rally Stalls Late against St. Francis

JOLIET, Ill.--Cumberland men's basketball couldn't overcome a hot-shooting St. Francis (Ill.) squad on Sunday afternoon, falling 76-65 at the Pat Sullivan Center. The Phoenix dropped to 6-3 on the year, while the Fighting Saints stayed unbeaten at 5-0 behind a blistering performance from the field and beyond the arc.

The Phoenix did plenty of damage inside, finishing at 43.3% from the floor (26-for-60) while owning a 42-34 edge in points in the paint and a 17-7 advantage in second-chance points thanks to 14 offensive rebounds. Cumberland's undoing came from the perimeter, where it went just 2-for-14 from three, and at the foul line, where it finished 11-for-16. The Phoenix also tallied 17 points off turnovers and matched the Saints with 20 bench points but were held to just three assists on the night.

Triston Conger once again paced the Cumberland attack, pouring in a game-high 22 points on 8-of-18 shooting and a 6-for-7 effort at the line. Nwoye turned in a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds on an efficient 6-of-11 from the field, doing most of his work around the rim. Zaylin Rowland provided a spark off the bench with 13 points in 21 minutes, going 6-of-7 from the floor. Nick Brunetti chipped in four points, while Jaren Davis and Jake Hatch added three apiece.

On the other side, St. Francis put together a highly efficient offensive performance, shooting 58.7% from the field (27-of-46) and 55.6% from three (10-of-18). The Saints finished with 15 assists on their 27 made baskets and overcame 20 turnovers by outscoring Cumberland 30-6 from beyond the arc. 

Merrick Small led the way with 21 points, six rebounds, and four assists, while Joffrey Nunnally added 14 points and four assists, knocking down three triples. Coleton Hansen chipped in 10 points, and Greyson Harrington came off the bench to score eight on 3-of-4 shooting.

St. Francis used a big first-half surge to seize control, turning a one-possession game into a 32-15 advantage with just over six minutes left in the half and taking a 39-29 lead into the locker room. Cumberland continued to chip away after the break and pulled within 47-41 on a pair of free throws from Michael Nwoye with 14:48 remaining, but every push was answered by the Saints, who never let the margin get smaller than six the rest of the way.

Despite controlling the paint and the offensive glass, Cumberland couldn't quite close the gap against St. Francis' efficient perimeter attack and timely shot-making, coming up short in its bid for a second straight road win.

The Phoenix will be back inside the friendly confines of the Dallas Floyd Phoenix Arena on Tuesday against No. 20 Dalton State. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m.  
 
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Players Mentioned

Nick Brunetti

#77 Nick Brunetti

G
6' 4"
Sophomore
Triston Conger

#1 Triston Conger

G
6' 2"
Redshirt Junior
Jaren Davis

#2 Jaren Davis

G
6' 3"
Freshman
Jake Hatch

#4 Jake Hatch

F
6' 10"
Redshirt Sophomore
Michael Nwoye

#7 Michael Nwoye

F
6' 7"
Freshman
Zaylin Rowland

#42 Zaylin Rowland

G
6' 2"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Nick Brunetti

#77 Nick Brunetti

6' 4"
Sophomore
G
Triston Conger

#1 Triston Conger

6' 2"
Redshirt Junior
G
Jaren Davis

#2 Jaren Davis

6' 3"
Freshman
G
Jake Hatch

#4 Jake Hatch

6' 10"
Redshirt Sophomore
F
Michael Nwoye

#7 Michael Nwoye

6' 7"
Freshman
F
Zaylin Rowland

#42 Zaylin Rowland

6' 2"
Freshman
G