COLUMBIA, Ky. -- The Lindsey Wilson College men's basketball team failed a score over a five minute span early in the second half as the University of the Cumberlands (Ky.) upended the host Blue Raiders 68-60 on Saturday at Biggers Sports Center.
Lindsey Wilson, who trailed at the half, scored the first basket of the second half to take a 28-27 lead. Following Cumberlands' six straight points, senior
Scott Cook scored his second consecutive field goal to cut the lead to 33-30 with 17:02 left.
The Blue Raiders would not score again until sophomore
Lloyd Lewis's two free throws with 10:46 remaining in the game.
During the 5:03 Blue Raider scoring drought, Cumberlands ran off 15 points to take a 48-30 lead, their largest of the game.
No. 10-ranked Cumberlands (19-5, 4-2 in the Mid-South) held a double-digit lead until 1:09 left in the game when senior
Stephen Russell made a three-pointer to cut the lead to 65-57. The No. 18-ranked Blue Raiders (19-7, 3-3) got as close as seven (67-60) en route to the 68-60 loss.
Cumberlands joins Campbellsville (Ky.) University and Georgetown (Ky.) College atop the conference. Lindsey Wilson falls into a fourth-place tie with Lambuth University.
Cumberlands' made just one field goal the remainder of the game (10:47) after the 15-0 run. Over the last half of the second half, Lindsey Wilson sent the Patriots to the free throw line 26 times. Cumberlands made 18 of its freebies.
For the game Cumberlands was 24-of-37 from the free throw line. Lindsey Wilson, who entered the game as the top free throw shooting team in the NAIA (77.4 percent), made just nine of 17 (52.9 percent) for the game.
In addition to struggling at the line, Lindsey Wilson was also frigid from beyond the three-point line. The Blue Raiders made just five of 29 from deep.
Lindsey Wilson out-rebounded the Patriots 42-33 for the game, thanks to Lewis' 13 rebounds. He also had a game-high 17 points for his 12th double-double of the season.
Cumberlands' Darnell Howell led the Patriots with 16 points in the win. Pierre Darden added 15 points, while Jermaine Love chipped in 10 points.
