| February 04, 2013 | 1st | 2nd | Final |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 28 | 27 | 55 |
 | 39 | 48 | 87 |
| Stats at a Glance | CU-M | BU |
|---|---|---|
| FG Percentage | .235 (16-68) | .453 (34-75) |
| 3P FG Percentage | .333 (4-12) | .571 (8-14) |
| FT Percentage | .633 (19-30) | .524 (11-21) |
| Offensive Rebounds | 12 | 23 |
| Defensive Rebounds | 22 | 45 |
| Total Rebounds | 34 | 68 |
| Turnovers | 14 | 16 |
| Steals | 14 | 12 |
| Bench Points | 23 | 32 |
| Leaders | CU-M | BU |
|---|---|---|
| Points | Stewart
- 11 | Gillette
- 21 |
| Rebounds | TEAM
- 10 | TEAM
- 20 |
| Assists | Blackmon
- 2 Stewart - 2 Stripling - 2 | Coleman
- 5 |
| Steals | Blackmon
- 5 | Nelson
- 2 |
| Blocks | Holt
- 1 | Williamson
- 1 Gardner - 1 Jones - 1 |
McKENZIE, Tenn. – Cumberland could not keep Bethel University contained on the boards, giving up 68 rebounds to the Wildcats, and CU managed only 16 field goals in an 87-55 losing effort at the Crisp Center Monday night.
The sixteen buckets by the Bulldogs were a season low, as was their 24 percent shooting from the floor. Charles Stewart was the only CU player to score in double digits, finishing with 11. Elijah Gillis added eight points and a team-high six rebounds.
Despite a dismal first half for Cumberland (8-15, 4-10 Mid-South), connecting on seven buckets in twenty minutes, the team found themselves only trailing the Wildcats 39-28 at the break. That was short-lived, however, as BU broke in the second half with a 12-4 run to increase their lead to 53-32. CU was unable to close the gap the remainder of the game, with BU running the lead to as much as 41 with 2:25 to play.
Within the first minute of tipoff, the No. 11 Wildcats (22-3, 4-1 TranSouth) were looking to score, hitting a jumper and a 3-pointer to jump out to a 5-0 lead. Cumberland hit its first shot from the field with 17:35 on the clock thanks to a Lester Gude 3-pointer, and Jerret Towns hit one-of-two free throws pull CU within 7-5.
A putback by Bethel’s Mark Vaughn at the 12:55 mark extended BU’s lead to 17-7, but two free throws by E.J. Perry three minutes later cut CU’s deficit to six. A 19-6 run by the Wildcats over the next eight minutes ballooned the lead to 39-23. The Bulldogs ended the half with a 5-0 run of their own on a Stewart score and two free throws and a bucket by Brian Blackmon.
Cumberland’s starters went a combined 8-of-39 from the floor with six rebounds while BU’s first five hit 24-of-39 shots and totaled 30 caroms.
This defeat gives CU its fourth loss against Bethel in 16 meetings, dating to the 2006-07 season, including a 10-point loss at Cumberland last month.
Bethel’s big man, Steven Gillette, was a force underneath, collecting game-highs of 21 points and 13 rebounds.
Cumberland begins a four-game conference homestand Thursday versus Campbellsville University at 8:00 pm CT.
