The University of the Cumberlands (UC) Women's Basketball team was back in action this week as they came away with two dominant wins against the University of Rio Grande on Thursday night and West Virginia Tech on Saturday afternoon.  The #5 ranked Patriot ladies, who continue to climb up the national rankings, are pulling away in first place in the Mid-South Conference (MSC) standings, and move closer to their goal of "Working for Tuesday." 

On Thursday, February 9^th, the Patriots truly calmed the Red Storm of Rio Grande as they commanded a 67-46 win to stay undefeated in MSC play.  With a total team effort, the Patriots played stellar defense, holding the Storm to under 26% from the field as well as the same from beyond the 3 point line.  Junior forward Dace Bicane (Riga, Latvia) led all Patriots with a powerful 13 points and 7 rebounds, while teammates Jade Howard (Salyersville, KY) and Vernisha Moss (Nassau, Bahamas) added 11 points each.  The Patriots outrebounded the Storm by a large margin 39 to 21 with a balanced attack from all 10 Patriots who saw the floor for multiple minutes.

This past Saturday, the O. Wayne Rollins Center hosted more than just a women's basketball game.  It served as a big stepping stone for the University of the Cumberlands Women's Basketball program as they etched their spot in the school's record book as they tied the school's longest all-time winning streak at 21 straight victories with a solid 75-46 win over West Virginia Tech.   The last time such a feat was accomplished came with the 2003-2004 Patriot ladies who began the season 21-0.  The record setting feat was great, but it didn't stop there.  Senior guard Lauren Wombles (London, KY) also etched her name in yet another one of the school's record books, becoming Cumberlands' all-time leader in field goal attempts with 1,485 shots, surpassing Soni Smith with 4 games still remaining in MSC regular season play.

With efficient passing plays and hard-nose rebounding, the Patriots steamrolled the Golden Bears 75-46, moving them to a remarkable 23-1 on the season and 12-0 in conference play.  Although the Patriots shot a solid 44% from the field, they outdid themselves from the free-throw stripe, shooting a perfect 10 for 10 on the night.  The Patriots were led by the strong play of Lauren Wombles, who led all scorers with 23 points and adding 7 rebounds and 3 steals.  Sophomore guard Jackie Alexander (Brodhead, KY) also brought some scoring power to the floor as she put up 15 points along with 5 rebounds of her own.  Senior guard Haley Ratliff (Pikeville, KY) scored 10 points as well as dishing 5 assists and shooting perfect from the free throw line.

The Patriot ladies have their most important week of play all year as they travel to Georgetown College on Thursday, February 16th to battle the #16 Tigers on their home floor at 6:00pm.  The Patriots will also travel to Shawnee State to take on the #10 Bears on Saturday afternoon at 2:00pm.

For more information on the Patriots Women's Basketball team as well as other Patriot athletics, please visit www.cumberlandspatriots.com.

Article by Stephanie Quattrociocchi, UC Multimedia & Athletic Services Graduate Assistant