LEBANON, Tenn.--Cumberland women's basketball put together a dominant all-around performance Thursday night at the Dallas Floyd Phoenix Arena, cruising past Welch College 79-55 to move to 6-1 on the season. The Phoenix controlled the game from the opening tip, shooting efficiently, winning the rebounding battle by nearly 20 boards, and getting major contributions from a deep bench that accounted for 46 points.

Cumberland dominated from start to finish, shooting 46.4% from the field on 32-of-69 shooting while holding Welch to 40.4%. The Phoenix connected on 7-of-19 from three (36.8%) and 8-of-16 at the line (50%). They controlled the glass with a 48-29 rebounding advantage, including 21 offensive boards that led to 14 second-chance points. CU shared the ball effectively with 19 assists and forced 19 Welch turnovers, converting them into 18 points. The Phoenix added 50 points in the paint and 46 from the bench while limiting Welch to just 16 bench points. Cumberland's defense tallied 12 steals and four blocks in the win.

A balanced attack powered Cumberland's 79-55 victory. Braley Bushman and Riley Long each recorded 12 points, with Long also pulling down a game-high 10 rebounds for a double-double. Airyn Enoch added nine points, six rebounds, and four assists, while Emaleigh Tarpley contributed eight points, seven rebounds, and three steals. Ever Walker tallied 11 points, going 4-for-6 from the field and hitting three triples, while Faith Colston added eight points and two boards. Maddie Brillhart and Ty Buckley chipped in seven and nine points, respectively, as 11 different Phoenix players found the scoring column.

Welch struggled to find consistency on offense, shooting 21-for-52 (40.4%) from the floor and just 4-for-16 (25%) from beyond the arc. The Flames went 9-for-15 from the line (60%) and turned the ball over 19 times. They posted 32 points in the paint and grabbed 29 total rebounds, including seven on the offensive end. Welch assisted on 10 of its 21 made baskets and recorded five steals and six blocks defensively.

Faithe Johnstone led all scorers with 27 points on 10-of-16 shooting, adding six rebounds, two blocks, and seven made free throws. Karilyn Wieting followed with 10 points, six rebounds, and two made threes, while Dani Dawson provided eight points and four rebounds off the bench. Audrey Coulter added eight points and two blocks in 18 minutes of action.

The first quarter started well for the Phoenix as they ran out to a 26-11 lead after ten minutes of play. Ever Walker hit a pair of threes and cashed in a layup to score eight points, shooting a perfect 3-3 from the field. Cumberland also managed four steals and forced seven turnovers.

CU completely took control in the second quarter, using their stifling defense to pull away to a lead that eclipsed 30 points. Walker and Maddie Brillhart both hit from deep to spark the offense, while Riley Long and Emaleigh Tarpley dominated inside.

The Phoenix forced several turnovers, six in the quarter, and turned defense into offense, never letting the Flames find a rhythm. With everyone contributing on both ends of the floor, Cumberland outscored Welch 21-6 in the period to take a commanding 49-19 lead into halftime.

Coming out of the break, the Flames did begin to find their spark, narrowing the gap down to just 18-13 in favor of the Phoenix in this quarter, but would struggle to ever edge the Phoenix in any quarter. 

Cumberland will have one more game this week as they host Oakland City on Saturday. Tip-off is set for 1:00 p.m.