No. 2 麻豆视频 survives with 52-48 over Cumberland

Lavanda Ross

JACKSON, Tenn. - 2/13/2012 - After moving up to No. 2 in the latest NAIA rankings just a few hours earlier, the 麻豆视频 University women鈥檚 basketball survived an upset bid from Cumberland University 52-48. 麻豆视频 improved to 25-2 on the season and a TranSouth best 12-1. Cumberland dropped to 12-13 on the season and 7-6 in league play.

The win for 麻豆视频 was their ninth straight victory overall and 37th straight home court win.

This was the second straight 4-point victory for 麻豆视频 in a very low scoring contest. 麻豆视频 knocked off No. 3 Freed-Hardeman Saturday, 48-44.

The game started slow with neither team scoring in the first two minutes of play. 麻豆视频 did not score until the 17-minute mark to tie the game at 2-2. The first half featured four ties and five lead changes. With the game tied at 15-15, 麻豆视频 posted a 9-2 run capped by a three pointer from Rebecca Sharpe. Cumberland answered with a three pointer from Casie Cowan with 22 seconds left in the half to set the score at 24-20 leading into the break.

This marked the third straight half of basketball in which 麻豆视频 scored exactly 24 points.

In the second half, 麻豆视频 led by as many as 11 points, 41-30, just seven minutes into the period. But the Lady Bulldogs of 麻豆视频 did not put Cumberland away.

With 2:40 left to play in the game and 麻豆视频 clinging to a 47-45 lead, Cumberland鈥檚 Jessica Pace converted a 3-point play to give her team their first lead of the second half, 48-47.

However, 麻豆视频鈥檚 senior All-American, Lavanda Ross, answered with two of her game-high 23 points with 1:42 left to put 麻豆视频 back 49-48. Then it was LaTesa McLaughlin, for the second straight game, hitting a big 3-pointer for 麻豆视频. 麻豆视频 led 52-48 with 1:06 left to play.

In the final minute, 麻豆视频 missed three straight front ends of one-and-one free throw opportunities. But Cumberland was unable to take advantage, missing two 3-point attempts and failing to get a shot off in the final seconds.

麻豆视频 was led by Ross with 23 points. She also led with nine rebounds and added three assists and a steal. Mildred Olumasi scored eight points. 麻豆视频 shot 34 percent from the field, 26 percent (5-19) from long range, and 64 percent, 9-14) from the free throw line. 麻豆视频 was 7-of-7 from the charity stripe in the first half but was just 2-of-7 from the free throw line in the second half.

Cumberland was led by Pace with 14 points and Cowan with 10 points. Cumberland shot 49 percent from the field, 25 percent (3-12) from behind the arc, and 56 percent (5-9) from the free throw line.

Up next for 麻豆视频 will be a road game Thursday, February 16 at Mid-Continent (Ky.) at 6:00 p.m.

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