Cumberland’s defensive efforts led to a big home win, 80-57, over Freed-Hardeman at the Dallas Floyd Phoenix Arena last Saturday afternoon.
The Phoenix (13-5, 9-5 Mid-South Conference) had it all working, shooting 54.8% from the field and burying nine 3-pointers. They outrebounded the Lions 36-23, including 10 offensive boards for 13 points. The Phoenix dominated the paint scoring 46 points in the lane. CU posted 18 assists, its second-most in a game this season.
Tavon King had another 20-point game, leading all scorers with 21 on 8-of-11 shooting with four triples. Mt. Juliet’s Isaac Stephens went a perfect 9-for-9 from the field for 20 points and added eight rebounds and three assists.
TJ Stargell is closing in on the all-time assists record, picking up five more to go along with 12 points. Nassir Coleman scored eight with six rebounds and Aaron Ridley scored six on two 3s.
Tyler Byrd scored seven points and added six rebounds off the bench in 25 minutes of action and Kelvin Jackson scored six points with four rebounds and three assists.
Freed-Hardeman (12-9, 7-7 MSC) had his leading point scorer Kortland Martin shut down by the Phoenix’s tenacious defense. Martin came into the game as the second leading point scorer in the Mid-South Conference averaging 21.7 per game. Cumberland shut Martin down and held him to just two points on 1-of-5 shooting.
Ryley McClaren led the Lions in points with 11 and Hunter Scurlock scored 10 for the only two Lions in double figures.
The Phoenix jumped out to a 5-0 lead with a two from Stephens on the opening possession and a triple from Stargell, but Freed-Hardeman answered with an 11-0 run. The Lions kept a six-point lead to 15-9 before Stephens made another tough two and King scored on a jumper and drained a three to go ahead.
The Lions regained the lead and pushed it out to five at 22-17 before a huge 19-2 run gave Cumberland a 36-24 lead with 3:18 to play in the first half. CU pushed it out to 41-27 at half.
Cumberland kept the pressure up and pushed the lead out to as much as 31 before calling off the dogs in the final four minutes as the Phoenix snapped a three-game losing skid against the Lions.
Cumberland will be back in action in a big road game this coming Thursday at No. 13 Georgetown.
Tip off is set for 7 pm CST.
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