MEN'S BASKETBALL LOSES GROUND TO PHOENIX ON THE ROAD; FALLS IN MID-SOUTH OPENER

LEBANON, Tenn. – At Dallas Floyd Arena, the Lindsey Wilson men's basketball team could not make a late comeback stick as the homestanding Phoenix used a strong finish to the first half and a solid showing from the field to ultimately pull away for an 84-69 conference-opening victory.

Despite winning the turnover battle and accumulating 14 points off of which, the Blue Raiders fell short against a 20th-ranked Cumberland offense that wound up shooting 55.6 percent on field goals, including a 5-of-11 effort from three-point territory in the final 20 minutes. 

As a team, the visitors also put forth their best performance of the season shooting free throws, knocking down 16-of-20. Johrdon Mumford was the primary catalyst for Lindsey Wilson at the charity stripe, finishing 5-for-5 en route to a team-high 11 points. Fellow guard Jackson Harlan came off the bench to contribute another 11 ticks for the locals. The junior hit three of his four made baskets from behind the arc.

From the get-go, the action on Thursday night featured fast-paced, back-and-forth ball movement. After Payton Cundiff secured the game's opening bucket off a brilliant feed from Lucas Ribeiro, the Phoenix settled in and raced ahead, 10-5. Consecutive three-point plays by Mumford and Elijah Jordan, and a long-distance jumper by Connor Robinson eventually pulled the Blue Raiders back to even ground at 14-14. Cumberland remained composed, nevertheless, and utilized a short scoring run to reclaim its advantage.

Then, leading only by three with just under five minutes to play in the first half, the hosts got their juices pumping with a commanding 16-5 stretch to close out the opening frame.

In the second half, the Blue Raiders did everything they could to try and chip away at their deficit, which at its largest was 19 points. It was not until the 5:39 mark of the half that a Jackson Edwards tip-in brought Lindsey Wilson to within seven of Cumberland's lead, 67-60, but that is as close as they could get down the stretch.

Along with Mumford and Harlan's evening on the scoresheet, Rodney Lewis chipped in an additional 10 points for the locals, who did outrebound their opposition 10-7 offensively. Edwards paced Lindsey Wilson on the glass with six total boards, and Jamyus Jones stepped in for a team-best two steals.

The Blue Raiders take Friday off before returning to the Volunteer State to take on the University of Tennessee Southern on Saturday afternoon in Pulaski at 3 p.m. CST.