Skip To Main Content

Cumberland University

Riggs
66
Winner Cumberlands (KY) UC 21-6, 6-5
51
Cumberland (TN) CU 10-15, 2-8
Winner
Cumberlands (KY) UC
21-6, 6-5
66
Final
51
Cumberland (TN) CU
10-15, 2-8
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Cumberlands (KY) UC 33 33 66
Cumberland (TN) CU 17 34 51

Next Game:

Georgetown College (Ky.)

2/14/2026 | 3:00 PM

WANT FM 98.9

Next Game

Full Schedule
Feb. 14 (Sat) / 3:00 PM
 Georgetown College (Ky.)
History

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Phoenix Doomed by Slow Start as Patriots Take Regular Season Sweep

LEBANON, Tenn. - - The Phoenix men's basketball team was doomed by a slow start in the first half of their return trip against the University of the Cumberlands, falling to the Patriots 66-51.

The Patriots nailed a three-pointer just seconds into the game and made it look like it could be a high-flying start to the game, but it all came to a halt as both teams took their time to get settled into the game from that point. For a stretch of four minutes to start the game it was 3-2, as Jake Hatch converted a layup off an offensive rebound to put points on the board for the Phoenix but it would slow right down after that.

Coming out of that slow start, the Patriots fired off a trio of triples in short form to run their lead out to 13-4, highlighting a slow start that doomed the Phoenix. Cumberland did manage to pull themselves out of several ruts but it felt as though the first half was going all the way on the side of the road team.

That feeling was cemented over the final 10 minutes of the opening half. Cumberlands leaned heavily on Brant Smithers, who poured in 13 first-half points on 5-of-7 shooting, including three shots from beyond the arc. The Patriots shot 38.5 percent from the floor in the first half and knocked down six three-pointers, while the Phoenix struggled to find any rhythm offensively, shooting just 6-of-31 from the field and 1-of-7 from deep.

Despite solid work on the glass early from Jake Hatch and Michael Nwoye, the Phoenix simply couldn't convert second chances into consistent scoring. Cumberlands closed the half on a 20-11 stretch to take a 33-17 lead into the break, holding Cumberland to just 17 points in the opening 20 minutes.

The second half brought more fight from the Phoenix. Cumberland shot 46.7 percent after the break and found more success attacking the paint. Nwoye finished with nine points and six rebounds, while Hatch added eight points and four boards. The Phoenix outscored the Patriots 34-33 in the second half, but the early deficit proved too large to overcome.

Kyle Duke took control late for Cumberlands, finishing with a game-high 19 points, including several big baskets that pushed the lead back out whenever Cumberland threatened to trim it to single digits.

In the end, Cumberland fell 66-51 inside Dallas Floyd Arena, the same gym they will be in this Saturday as they take on Georgetown in their penultimate home game of the regular season.
Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Jake Hatch

#4 Jake Hatch

F
6' 10"
Redshirt Sophomore
Michael Nwoye

#7 Michael Nwoye

F
6' 7"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Jake Hatch

#4 Jake Hatch

6' 10"
Redshirt Sophomore
F
Michael Nwoye

#7 Michael Nwoye

6' 7"
Freshman
F