COLUMBIA, Ky. -- Ashley Rainey scored a game-high 24 points and pulled down 12 rebounds to help 22nd ranked Lindsey Wilson College hold off a feisty Cumberland (Tenn.) University team 66-59 on Friday night in Biggers Sports Center.

Freshman Monny Niamke added 10 points and senior Ashley Franklin and sophomore Jasmine Brimm tallied nine points each which were much needed as the Bulldogs rallied to just a three-point deficit with under seven minutes to play.

Cumberland's Courtney Atkinson fueled the late rally scoring 10 straight points in a three-minute span to finish with a team-high 14. Casie Cowan added 12 points, while Tasia Blue and Jessica Pace each added 10 for the Bulldogs.

It was 3-point shooting that kept Cumberland (2-5) in the game.

Every time it looked like Lindsey Wilson (10-3) was ready to pull away the Bulldogs were right there with a clutch three to keep things interesting.

Cumberland finished 6-of-14 from behind the arc for 42.9 percent, while the Blue Raiders struggled from deep, shooting 28.6 percent (6-of-21).

The Bulldogs also came through with a 24-22 advantage in points in the paint and outscored Lindsey Wilson's bench 27-15, but it was not enough to slow the Blue Raiders and Rainey who also finished with three steals, two assists and a block.

Strong free-throw shooting also helped Lindsey Wilson late as it hit 20-of-26 shots for 76.9 percent.

Struggling to get off to a good start the Blue Raiders found themselves down 20-16 with eight minutes left in the first half. A pair of 3-pointers be senior Michelle Copley and Franklin helped erase the lead and push Lindsey Wilson to its largest advantage of the half at six points.

The Blue Raiders took that lead into halftime, leading 32-26 in a first half that saw 11 lead changes and three ties.

In the first two minutes of the second half Lindsey Wilson extended its lead to 13 points on back-to-back baskets by Rainey and Niamke, followed by a Brimm three. At that point all the momentum was pointing in Lindsey Wilson's direction.

Then Atkinson got in a groove and tried to soak up all the momentum the Blue Raiders had worked for.

In what seemed like an instant behind her quick 10 points, Cumberland was back in the game, trailing just 51-48 with under seven minutes to play after a basket by Blue.

In the worst time of the game for it to happen Cumberland went ice cold from the field and allowed the Blue Raiders to rally back up by double figures in four minutes.

With the Bulldogs struggling offensively Copley and junior Kasey Litzinger hit a couple of daggers from behind the arc in the final minutes to put the game away.

Lindsey Wilson returns to action at 4 p.m. CT on Saturday against Indiana Wesleyan University.

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