SMYRNA, Tenn. -- Phoenix averaged 200 pins per game on the final day to propel into the top four of the Smyrna Sectional.

Cumberland Women's Bowling finishes the USBC Sectionals in fourth place with a score of 12350 pins.

The Phoenix entered day three with some work to do if they wanted to reach the ITC, and they would find some momentum as Cumberland would knock down 808 pins in the first four games. After that, the Phoenix would go back-to-back in their 800 series, as Cumberland would score 813 pins heading into the halfway point.

In the third set of the session, the Phoenix cooled off, only getting 753 pins heading into the final set of the session. Finally, in that four set, Cumberland would be able to come back and hit 809 pins, for a total of 3183 pins in the third session, which was third amongst their competitors, only behind Jacksonville State (3504 pins) and Lindenwood (3218 pins). 

After session three, the Phoenix would sit in sixth place with a score of 9081, and be only 127 pins behind the cut line, which belongs to Wright State.

To open the final session of the USBC Sectionals, Cumberland was on fire, scoring 828 pins and only being 25 pins away from the cut line. In the second set, the Phoenix would continue their momentum, scoring 857 pins, including a 256 in game 55. The difference between University of Alabama-Birmingham, who is in fourth place and above the cut line and Cumberland is 21 pins.

After the third set of games, the Phoenix would score 772 pins, and that would be enough to overtake UAB for the fourth, and final spot in the ITC heading into the final four games of the Sectional. The Blazers are sitting 21 pins behind Cumberland heading into the final four games.

In the final set of games for the USBC Sectionals, the Phoenix would score 812 pins, and UAB would score 771 pins, which means Cumberland would finish in fourth place with a score of 3269 in the fourth session, 6452 pins on day three, and 12350 overall, and reach the Intercollegiate Team Championship for the first time in program history. The three other teams that made the ITC in the Smyrna sectional along with Cumberland are Jacksonville State (14259 pins), Lindenwood (12746 pins), and SCAD-Savannah (12447 pins).

The Intercollegiate Team Championship will be held on April 13-18 at the Ashwaubenon Bowling Alley in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

The Phoenix have one more tournament before the ITC, and that's the NAIA National Championship, starting on March 19th. Cumberland will be the 11 seed to open the championship against the six-seed Lawrence Tech (Mich.) in the first round.