FAYETTE, Mo. -- Cumberland University women's basketball came out strong against William Woods University (Mo.) on Saturday afternoon, earning an 83-57 victory over the Owls to improve to 2-0 on the season.
The Owls opened the contest with four straight points, but the Phoenix quickly responded with six unanswered points from Braley Bushman to take a 6-4 lead. Cumberland continued to build momentum offensively as Emaleigh Tarpley and Julia Varpness added baskets to extend the advantage to 12-5 midway through the quarter.
The Phoenix continued to control the pace of the game, using strong defensive pressure to create scoring opportunities. Tarpley added five more points to push Cumberland's lead to 17-5 before Taylor Dolente connected on a three-pointer to extend the advantage to 20-7. Tarpley closed out her strong opening quarter with another basket.
Tarpley led the Phoenix with nine points in the opening period, while Braley Bushman added six points and three steals. Cumberland's defensive effort played a major role in the early advantage, forcing seven turnovers and limiting the Owls to just nine points.
Cumberland carried its momentum into the second quarter as Dayonna Perryman opened the period with a layup off an assist from Cara Lee Gilbert. Dolente followed with another basket to extend the Phoenix lead to 27-12. The Owls tried to cut into the deficit, but Cumberland continued to maintain control throughout the quarter.
Braley Bushman connected on a three-pointer to push the lead to 30-18 before Tarpley added a free throw. Gilbert then took over offensively, scoring 11 points in the final three minutes of the half. The freshman knocked down three three-pointers and added a jumper to help Cumberland build a 42-23 advantage with just over a minute remaining.
William Woods closed the half with five unanswered points, but the Phoenix maintained a comfortable 42-28 lead heading into the break. Gilbert led Cumberland with 11 points in the second quarter, while Braley Bushman had nine points and five steals through the first half. Tarpley added 10 points and eight rebounds to help the Phoenix control the game on both ends of the floor.
The Phoenix opened the second half with a layup from Varpness before Gilbert added a jumper to extend Cumberland's lead to 46-30. William Woods continued to battle back, cutting the deficit to 11 points midway through the third quarter, but the Phoenix responded with baskets from Tarpley and Braley Bushman to maintain their advantage.
Mazie Bushman connected on a three-pointer off an assist from Tarpley to push Cumberland's lead to 54-37. Braley Bushman followed with another layup, while Mazie Bushman added two more points to extend the lead to 58-42 with under three minutes remaining in the quarter.
The Owls continued to chip away at the lead in the closing minutes, but Mariah Okorie added a basket late in the period to help Cumberland carry a 60-50 advantage into the fourth quarter. William Woods outscored the Phoenix 22-18 in the third quarter, but Cumberland maintained its lead heading into the final ten minutes.
Cumberland took control in the fourth quarter, opening the period with ten unanswered points to extend its lead to 70-50. Gilbert knocked down two free throws before Okorie added back-to-back baskets. Gilbert followed with another layup, while Braley Bushman added two more points to give the Phoenix a 20-point advantage.
The Phoenix continued to pull away as Gilbert added two more baskets to push Cumberland's lead to 74-55. Faith Colston connected on a three-pointer off an assist from Gilbert before Abby Williams and Mazie Bushman added baskets in the closing minutes. Cumberland outscored William Woods 23-7 in the final quarter to secure the 83-57 victory.
Gilbert led the Phoenix offensively with 21 points and seven assists, shooting 8-of-15 from the field and 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. Braley Bushman followed with 15 points, six rebounds, six steals and four assists. Tarpley recorded a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds while adding four steals.
As a team, Cumberland shot 44.7 percent from the field and collected 44 rebounds, 20 assists and 14 steals. The Phoenix forced 25 turnovers and scored 32 points off those mistakes while holding William Woods to 34.8 percent shooting.
The Phoenix will travel to Winona Lake, Ind., next week for a pair of match ups, beginning with Indiana Wesleyan University on Friday at 8:00 p.m. CT. Cumberland will then face Grace College (Ind.) on Saturday, with tip-off scheduled for 3:00 p.m. CT.
