Tournament Page  |  Box Score  |  Photos

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. -- Top-seeded Cumberlands (Ky.) punched its ticket to the Mid-South Conference championship game with a 94-73 win over No. 4-seed Cumberland (Tenn.) tonight in the MSC Men's Basketball Tournament Semifinals at Studle Financial Arena.

The Patriots (21-7) advance to play either second-seeded Georgetown (Ky.) or third-seeded Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) for the championship at 7:30 p.m. CT on Tuesday, March 4. Cumberlands plays for the title for the first time since the 2016 tournament.

Cumberlands used a 16-4 run midway through the first half to turn a deficit into a 30-19 lead with just over seven minutes left in the half. The Patriots led the Phoenix (13-15) 39-27 at the half and never trailed in the second half.

Cumberlands carried that momentum into the second frame, scoring 55 second-half points while shooting over 51 percent from the field. The win marks the 13th time this season the Patriots -- who average 92.1 points per game -- have eclipsed the 90-point plateau.

The Patriots limited the Phoenix to 44.7 percent (34-of-76) shooting and out-rebounded Cumberland 61-46.

MSC Player of the Year Anthony Johnson led the Patriots with 24 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists. Matthew Cromer (15 points), DJ Jones (14), and Anthony Harris (13) joined Johnson in double figures.

Cumberland's Triston Conger led the Phoenix with 18 points while Keyshawn Robinson scored 14 points and pulled down 14 rebounds.