Cumberlands hands MSU first loss of season

From staff reports
For The Register-Herald

November 20, 2008 11:47 pm

— WILLIAMSBURG, Ky. — Earlier in the week, Bob Bolen said the University of the Cumberlands men’s basketball team might be its best ever.
Unfortunately for Mountain State University, the veteran coach was on the money.
NAIA No. 11 Cumberlands jumped to a 45-35 halftime lead Thursday night and never relented in beating the visiting No. 3 Cougars 89-73.
“They just outplayed us in all facets of the game,” said Bolen, whose team suffered its first non-exhibition loss of the season. “They were real aggressive and dominated us with their physical play.”
Going into the contest the Patriots were allowing just 49.3 points per game. Bolen said on Wednesday, “This is a team that is good every year and I believe they may be better than they have ever been.”
MSU easily topped 49.3 points, but few other things went well for the Cougars at the O. Wayne Rollins Center.
“(The Patriots) outrebounded us. They executed better, offensively,” Bolen said.
Cumberlands (5-0) got 19 points from 6-foot-7, 240-pound forward Luke Fitzgerald, 15 from Chad Byron and 14 apiece from Dustin Fothergill and Terrance Asmond.
Tony Brown led MSU (3-1) with 19 points. Andrew Lee scored 15 while Ermin Tarcin had 14 and Bo Harris 10.
The Cougars jump back into action at 2 p.m. Saturday against Morris College at the Beckley-Raleigh County Convention Center.