WILLIAMSBURG, Ky. – After leading by 20 points in the first half, No. 3 Lindsey Wilson got a scare late as Cumberlands (Ky.) got within five in the final minutes, but the Blue Raiders were shooting too well to fall as they held on for a 78-70 win on Thursday at O. Wayne Rollins Arena.
Lindsey Wilson (22-2, 12-2 MSC) finished shooting a season-high 67.3 percent from the field and season-best 61.5 percent (8-of-13) from three. Cumberlands finished shooting 49 percent from the field, which is good any other night, but looked low comparatively.
When you can't miss there aren't a lot of rebounds available as the Patriots led the battle of the boards 25-18.
Kalen Kimberland was phenomenal all night, scoring a game-high 25 points on 9-of-13 shooting from the field and connected on three 3-pointers. Kimberland added four assists and two rebounds as well. Chris Bridges and Daronte' Clark finished with 13 points each.
James Archie paced Cumberlands with 21 points and Benito Santiago, Jr., added 20.
The Blue Raiders led by as many as 20 points in the game, but had to avoid a late collapse as the Patriots clawed within five points late.
You couldn't ask for a more inspired start if you're Lindsey Wilson, hustling out to a 10-0 lead through the first four minutes. The Patriots (17-8, 8-7 MSC) finally got on the board on a Santiago 3-point play, but Kimberland was too hot to be stopped, knocking down a jumper to make the lead 15-3.
Eventually the Patriots got some offense going on a three from James Archie and two layups down low by Goins to make it a 10-point Blue Raider lead with 11:58 left in the first half.
Cumberlands fought back within five points, but at the six-minute mark of the half the Blue Raiders took over as Clark hit three straight threes to quickly put Lindsey Wilson back on top by a comfortable 40-24 margin.
Clark's last three capped a 13-4 Lindsey Wilson run that came minutes after the Patriots were within a three going down of cutting the deficit to two points. Scott hit a jumper in the paint and Kimberland hit a pair of free throws in the final minute to put the Blue Raiders up 48-31 at halftime.
To say the Blue Raiders were hot in the first half would be an understatement as they finished shooting 71.4 percent from the field and 60 percent (6-of-10) from 3-point range.
A layup and a free throw allowed Goins to complete an and-one opportunity and make the Lindsey Wilson lead just 12 points six minutes into the second half. The Patriot run woke up Kimberland and the Blue Raiders as he nailed a three in transition to end a spree that got Lindsey Wilson back on top by 15 at 59-44.
After not being able to get closer than 12 multiple times in the second half, Cumberlands finally broke the barrier and got within single digits with five minutes to play.
Down 14, Santiago, Jr., completed a layup in transition that he was fouled on and he hit the free throw to get within 11. After a stop, the Patriots scored on a Goins layup and suddenly the Lindsey Wilson lead was just nine.
The comeback continued a minute later as Archie hit a three from the top of the key to make the score 69-63. Kimberland answered immediately on the other end with a layup to put Lindsey Wilson up by eight.
Archie once again came through for the Patriots with another big three to make it a five-point game with 1:30 to play. The heroics would not be rewarded in the end as Kimberland controlled the final minute with a three and two free throws to finally put the win in the books.
Lindsey Wilson's four-game stretch of road games continues at 4 p.m. CT on Saturday against Cumberland in Lebanon, Tenn. It looks to build on its two-game first-place lead in the Mid-South Conference standings with another win against the Bulldogs.
