Four Lady Bulldogs score in double figures in 85-38 win

Jessica Pace and TaCouya Allen each scored 18 points and Pace and Samantha Harper both grabbed 10 rebounds, leading Cumberland to an 85-38 victory over Hiwassee College in women’s basketball action Monday night at the Dallas Floyd Recreation Center.

Pace scored eight of CU’s first 12 points of the game and 12 of 21 in the opening eight-plus minutes for the Bulldogs (3-0). Hiwassee made just one field goal in the first 14 minutes of the contest and went scoreless for almost eight minutes in the middle of the period, going 0-for-8 with 10 turnovers during the stretch. Cumberland outscored the visitors, 18-0, during the dry spell for the Tigers, opening a 30-6 advantage.

Meanwhile Allen and Pace were filling up the nets for CU, with Allen hitting a pair of 3-pointers in the half and netting seven of nine points late in the period while Josette Campbell added eight points, including six of the last 11. CU shot 52 percent from the field and forced 13 Tigers turnovers, turning those into 14 points, and led 43-17 at intermission.

Cumberland added to the lead in the second half and did so while playing 14 players in the contest, 10 of whom scored and collected at least one rebound. Freshman Calamity Jane Coley came off the bench to post 12 points and four boards in 17 minutes and Campbell finished with 13 points.

Pace registered her second straight double-double and eighth of her career while making 8-of-10 shots from the field. She added four assists as well, just one behind team leader Briannica Tye, who handed out five helpers. Harper ended with six points and her 10 caroms, just the second double-figure rebound outing of her career.

Cumberland dominated action in the paint for the second straight contest, outscoring the Tigers 50-6 in the lane. CU also forced Hiwassee (0-1) into 23 turnovers, turning those into 28 points.

Cumberland will play an exhibition game at 7 p.m. Friday at Tennessee State and travel to Mobile, Ala., for a 4:30 p.m. tipoff versus Spring Hill on Saturday. 

Pace, Elie each net 20-plus in CU women's win

Jessica Pace posted 22 points and 12 rebounds and London Elie recorded a game-high 24 points, leading four Cumberland players in double figures in a 79-64 victory over Spring Hill College here Saturday night at the Dallas Floyd Recreation Center.

The Lady Bulldogs (2-0) started fast in both halves and ended the opening period on a 22-7 run that gave CU a 43-27 lead at the break. CU began the second half with a 21-7 spurt, pushing its advantage to 64-34 with 12:22 remaining before a lull in concentration allowed the Badgers (1-1) to cut into the deficit, getting as close as 68-55 with 5:39 remaining.

Cumberland outscored the Badgers, 32-16, in the paint, led by Elie and Pace, who did the bulk of their damage around the basket. Elie added seven rebounds, as CU won the battle of the boards as well, 44-32. Pace registered her sixth career double-double and helped the Bulldogs post 15 second-chance points in the victory.

TaCouya Allen added 11 points and Casie Cowan had 10 with a pair of 3-pointers for CU. Leah Washington led Spring Hill with 14 points and eight boards off the bench.

The Bulldogs started the game fast, with Elie netting five points in a 10-3 run to open the contest, but CU committed six turnovers over the next four minutes before Pace ended the dry spell with a bucket at the 12:18 mark. April Bradford’s layup for the Badgers tied the contest at 13 at 11:59 and a free throw from Bria Bohanon made it 21-20 Cumberland with 6:44 left in the half.

From there the Bulldogs caught fire on the offensive end, ending the half on a 22-7 spurt that started with Elie’s jumper. Pace contributed eight of her 11 first-half points during the stretch and Elie, Yalonda Davis and Cowan each netted four points. Allen’s spinning layup in the lane with seven seconds left after a steal by Davis gave CU a 43-27 advantage at intermission.

Pace and Elie combined for the first 15 points of the second half before a 3-pointer from Cowan. Elie’s bucket gave the Bulldogs their largest lead of the contest, but Cumberland went just 2-for-10 with six turnovers and eight fouls over the next seven minutes.

Washington netted seven points during the 18-2 spurt for the Badgers, who were 8-of-10 at the foul line during the stretch as well. Allen’s 3-pointer from the wing pushed the margin back to 16 and the Bulldogs closed out the win.

Bulldogs net first win

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Brian Blackmon and Jerret Towns combined for 39 points against Auburn Montgomery to give Cumberland University an 81-63 win, their first on the season, at the Jimmy Faulkner Classic in Montgomery, Ala., on Saturday.

Both the Bulldogs and Warhawks shot 50 percent from the field for the game, with CU attempting 26 more buckets. Cumberland forced AUM into 26 turnovers and won the rebounding battle 38 to 29.

In the first half the Warhawks only managed nine field goals but netted seven points of off free throws, while the Bulldogs hit 15 baskets and picked up zero points from the line. CU only hit three three-point goals in the game, but all came at imperative times in the first half from E.J. Perry, Elijah Gilles and Towns, to push Cumberland into a 33-26 edge going into the half.

The first points of the second half were produced by Towns, who scored, drew the foul and nailed the free throw to put CU up ten. The Warhawks made their home at the charity stripe for the first ten minutes of the period, hitting nine free throws while connecting on zero field goals. AUM would finally get a bucket with under ten minutes remaining, trailing Cumberland 55-39, but was unable to scrap their way back into the contest, losing by eighteen.

Charles Stewart and Daniel McFadden each added ten points for the Bulldogs, and McFadden led the team in rebounds with eight.

For AUM, Reshad Bickham had 21 points and eight rebounds.

CU will face off against Oakwood at 7:30 p.m. Thurday for its home opener at the Dallas Floyd Center.