PORTSMOUTH – Women's basketball saw a 10 point halftime lead slip away Saturday afternoon as No. 7 Cumberland (3-3, 2-0 MSC) used a 50-29 advantage in the second half to overtake Shawnee State (4-3, 0-2 MSC) by a 79-68 final.
The Bears, who held the lead from the 7:33 mark of the opening half up until there was 6:58 remaining in the second half, were led offensively by 27 points from Priscila Santos. Alannah Sheets also added 13 points while Diane Abbady finished with 10 points. The Bulldogs had four of their five starters score 16 or more points to lift them to the victory.
Despite the fact that Shawnee State led for a majority of the game, it was Cumberland that jumped out early and scored the first eight points of the contest. The Bulldogs would also hold a 14-6 lead with 13:46 remaining in the opening half before the Bears started to come to life. Six straight points from Santos coupled with an Erin Daily basket off a turnover tied the game at 14 with 11:42 to play in the first.
The Bears would take the lead for good in the first half with 7:33 to play with another basket from Santos. SSU's lead would grow all the way to nine, with just over two minutes remaining in the half before the Bears took a 39-31 lead into the locker room.
Shawnee State got a basket from Tabby McKinney to start the second half, making its biggest lead of the game 10 points. The Bears would match that margin on two other occasions as SSU led 47-37 with 16:16 to play in regulation.
By the 8:04 mark of the second half, Shawnee State was still leading 59-53 but back-to-back threes from the Bulldogs tied the game at 59-all with 6:08 to play. Cumberland would briefly take the lead before a basket from Abbady tied the game at 61-all with 4:53 to play.
A quick 5-0 spurt from the guests would be the last tie in the game as CU led the rest of the way. A three from Sheets with 3:39 left in the game brought the Bears back within three but the Bulldogs answered with a three. That basket would give them a two possession cushion for the remainder of the contest.
In a rarity this season, the Bears were outrebounded by Cumberland 46-40. McKinney led the Bears with 10 rebounds while CU was led by Brittany Lawson's 18 rebounds to go along with her 16 points.
Women's basketball will now get back into the non-conference portion of its schedule with a revenge meeting with St. Francis (Ind.) next Saturday, November 30 as a part of the Siena Heights Tournament. The Bears are done with MSC play for the rest of the 2013 calendar year. Conference play will resume in January.
