Cumberland climbs into NAIA quarters

From staff reports

FRANKFORT, Ky. – Jessica Pace and Josette Campbell each scored 12 points and Briannica Tye added 11, as sixth-ranked Cumberland limited No. 11 Benedictine to just 30-percent shooting from the field in a 65-54 victory Friday night in the second round of the 33rd annual NAIA Championships at the Frankfort Convention Center.

The Bulldogs (32-2) advanced to Saturday's quarterfinals to play Lubbock Christian at 7 p.m. CDT, the program’s second-ever trip to the quarterfinals of the national tournament. The 2006-07 squad lost in the championship game.

Cumberland struggled offensively at times but got contributions from a whole bunch of players, including 21 points off the bench by Casie Cowan, Simone Ryan and Yalonda Davis, including a huge runner off the glass from Davis with 2:35 remaining that staved off a potential Benedictine rally.

CU won despite a subpar contest at the foul line, making just 17-of-29 at the charity stripe, but the Bulldogs forced 16 turnovers, turning those into 11 points. Cumberland also limited the Ravens (28-6) to just two 3-pointers in the game after BC connected on nine in Thursday’s opening win over Bethel.

Campbell netted 10 of her 12 points in the second half, including a pair of trifectas. The senior had connected on just three 3-pointers in the previous seven outings and had not scored in double figures since Feb. 7 versus Campbellsville, a span of nine contests.

Pace added eight rebounds, two assists and three steals and recorded her 23rd double-figure scoring game of the year and fifth straight, all in the conference and national tournament.

Liz Stinson was the only Benedictine player in double-digits, hitting 8-of-15 shots and finishing with 17 points. The rest of the squad made just 9-of-41 shots from the field, a whopping 22 percent.

The Bulldogs started quickly behind six points from London Elie in the first three minutes for a 10-5 advantage, but the junior picked up her second foul at the 12:28 mark and sat the rest of the half.

Ryan netted six straight points over a three-minute stretch for a 23-15 edge, but the Ravens took advantage at the charity stripe in the final three minutes of the period, making 5-of-7 and connecting on 10-for-14 attempts in the half.

Chayla Rutledge’s 3-pointer and a final free throw by Erin Murphy cut the Bulldog lead to 31-27 at the break. Stinton led Benedictine with nine points in the period despite playing the final nine minutes with two fouls.

Ryan, Cowan and Davis combined for 13 points off the bench for CU and Pace led the club with eight points.

Both teams started slowly in the second half, combining for just 10 points in almost six minutes, but Campbell’s three-ball from the wing started an 8-0 CU run that included another trifecta by Cowan and a jumper from Tye. Campbell’s second 3-pointer put the Bulldogs ahead, 46-35.

Benedictine put together a 9-3 spurt to pull within five, with Justice Payne banking in a 3-pointer and Stinson hitting a pair of baseline jumpers, but Elie made a nice left-handed layup on a feed from Ryan. Davis made both ends of a 1-and-1 with 3:56 to play before her runner with the shot clock winding down with 2:35 remaining, preserving the victory.