Univ. of the Cumberlands basketball teams advance to Sweet 16 of national championship tournaments

The 2024 postseason was already a history-making one for the University of the Cumberlands men’s and women’s basketball programs, as for the first time ever, both programs served as tournament hosts for the first and second round games in the Annual National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) National Championship Tournaments.

Not content to simply host a handful of games, however, the Patriot men and women were able to secure victories last Friday and Saturday to advance to the Sweet 16 of the NAIA’s national basketball championship competitions.

First Round Friday

Last Friday’s college roundball action kicked off in Williamsburg with the number three ranked UC women taking on #14 Siena Heights (Mich.).

The Patriots were led by juniors Kaylie Monday and Destiny Haworth, who scored 15 points and 13 points, respectively. Sophomore Joy Kendrick scored 12 points in the NAIA opening round win, while juniors Kassie Monday and Channing Lewis scored nine points apiece. Collectively, the team was able to defeat the Saints, 73-56, to advance to round two.

After the conclusion of UC’s first round contest, their round two opponents were decided when the #6 Bryan College Lions (Tenn.) eliminated #11 University of Mobile (Ala.), 66-49.

With the day’s women’s basketball action complete, it was time for the men to take the court as the second-ranked Patriots faced an upset-minded team from Philander Smith University (Ark.).

The 15th ranked Panthers proved to be a formidable foe for the home-standing Pats, led by sophomore Raymond Reece who scored a game-high 30 points. Meanwhile, Cumberlands was led by sophomore Anthony Johnson’s 24-point performance. Grad student Jonathan Brown was not far behind Johnson, scoring 23 points.

The game between UC and Philander Smith went right down to the wire, but in the end the Patriots prevailed, 97-96 to keep their national championship dreams alive.

The final first round game of the day last Friday saw the seventh-ranked Florida College Falcons knock off #10 Marian University (Ind.), 84-71.

Second Round Saturday

The national tournament action rolled on this past Saturday, as the UC women returned to the court to face Bryan College with a chance to advance to this year’s Sweet 16 on the line.

The Monday twins once again came through for the Patriot ladies, scoring a combined 34 points to lead the team to an 86-65 victory. Sophomore Lakin Burke was also integral in the win, scoring 18 points.

With their two tournament W’s last week, UC enters the Sweet 16 with an overall season record of 24 wins and nine losses. They will travel to Sioux City, IA to take on Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) in their next game, taking place Friday, March 22, at 1 p.m. CT.

Dakota Wesleyan comes into the Sweet 16 with a 22-10 overall record, picking up victories over Rust College (Miss.) and Clarke University (Iowa) in the first and second rounds.

As for the Patriot men, they managed to down Florida College Saturday, 80-69, thanks to a 24-point performance from senior J.J. Ramey and a 22-point game from Johnson. The team, now 28-4 overall, will travel to Kansas City, MO this week where they are scheduled to face Morningside University in the Sweet 16.

The Morningside Mustangs bested Lourdes University (Ohio) and Kentucky’s own Georgetown College in the first and second rounds of the NAIA tournament. Those victories improved them to 23-9 on the year.

Tipoff for Cumberlands versus Morningside is set for 7 p.m. CT this Friday, March 22.

How to follow along

There are several ways to follow along with the continued progress of the Patriot basketball teams in this year’s NAIA National Championship Tournaments. The University of the Cumberlands’ Sports Information Department will be providing regular updates via their social media accounts and at www.cumberlandspatriots.com.

Those interested can also visit www.naia.org to receive updates on the tournaments, and to learn more about how to stream games at www.naianetwork.com.

Finally, this year’s national championship games, both scheduled to take place next Tuesday, March 26, will be carried live on ESPN 3. For more information, visit www.espn.com.

The News Journal will also continue to provide updates and share information online as it becomes available in the coming days.