WISE, Va. – Cumberland University's Yalonda Davis scored 16 points and Casie Cowan netted 15 in a 62-52 victory over UVA-Wise Thursday night at the Prior Convocation Center.

The No. 7-ranked CU women (15-1, 6-1 Mid-South) struggled mightily in the second half, making just 4-of-17 shots to start the period. CU clung to a 46-43 advantage with 3:13 remaining before a pair of free throws by Briannica Tye and then a breakaway layup plus the foul shot from Davis gave the visitors some breathing room.

Cumberland hit 10-of-13 free throws in the final two minutes, including six straight by Cowan in the last 51.4 seconds, to pull away for the win. CU was 19-for-24 at the charity stripe for the game, an important part of the game, as UVA-Wise made just 17-for-31 at the foul line, 6-of-15 in the first half.

Tye scored all 11 of her points in the second half for the Bulldogs, including six consecutive points over a three-minute stretch midway through the half. Cumberland played without starters Jessica Pace (injury) and Josette Campbell (sickness) in the contest, a duo that averages almost 23 points and 13 rebounds per outing.

Chelsea Cluesman led the Cavaliers (5-11, 2-5) with 22 points and nine rebounds, including 16 points in the second half. Charlotte Reasor added 13 points and nine boards as well, but Wise was just 3-for-20 from 3-point range, hitting two of those in the final minute of the game.

(men) UVA-Wise 81, Cumberland 80 (2 OT)
A free throw with half-a-second remaining in double overtime gave UVA-Wise an 81-80 victory over Cumberland Thursday. The Bulldogs were unable to outlast the Cavaliers despite 24 points from Creshaun Holt and 18 by Brian Blackmon.

CU was dominated on the glass by Wise, giving up 29 offensive rebounds, and allowing Deon Boyce of the Cavs to collect 24 rebounds of his own. The Bulldogs also struggled down the stretch with the basketball, committing 27 turnovers in the game.

Cumberland seemed to have control during regulation, leading by as many as 14 in both halves. The short-handed Bulldogs utilized all ten active players, with five playing more than 30 minutes each.

Gude contributed 12 points for the Bulldogs, while Towns tallied 10 points, six rebounds and five assists. Holt grabbed eight rebounds and Blackmon recorded six.

Cumberland continues its current four-game road swing Saturday at the University of Pikeville at 1 p.m. Central Time. The Bulldogs play next week at Lindsey Wilson and Campbellsville University before returning home January 24 to take on Pikeville.

HARTSVILLE -- Class 1A state champion Gordonsville and Class 2A state champ Friendship Christian School dominated the post-season awards handed out Wednesday evening, Jan. 9 at the Region 4A football banquet held at the Creekbank Grill.

Gordonsville’s Payton Watson was named Region MVP and Friendship’s Stefan Remus was the Special Teams Player of the Year.

Cumberland University remained No. 7 nationally in the NAIA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 Poll, the national office announced Tuesday, the first regular season ranking of the new year and the first national rating since December 11.

The Bulldogs have been ranked in the last three national rankings dating to Dec. 4 after getting off to a 9-0 start through November, which included three consecutive road victories to begin Mid-South Conference play.

During that stretch CU defeated then second-ranked Shawnee State and then No. 18 the University of the Cumberlands in consecutive games.

Cumberland stands 14-1 overall this season, 5-1 in MSC action, after splitting a pair of contests last week at home. The Bulldogs dropped a 57-55 decision against St. Catharine College before rebounding with a 66-64 win over then No. 21 Georgetown College.

The Bulldogs will be on the road for a pair of conference games Thursday, Jan. 10 at UVA-Wise and Saturday, Jan. 12 at Pikeville.

CU leads four Mid-South teams in the national rankings this week, with Campbellsville University at No. 10, Shawnee State at No. 13 and Georgetown at No. 23. St. Catharine and the University of the Cumberlands are both in the Receiving Votes category.

The No. 7 national ranking ties for the highest by the program since 1999-00. Before receiving the No. 7 ranking on December 4 of this season, the Bulldogs were last ranked in the Top 10 nationally on Jan. 8, 2007 (8th), and were last No. 7 in consecutive polls on Jan. 11 and Jan. 18, 2006.

Veteran journalist and Lebanon resident Joe Biddle is a member of the 2013 three-member class of the Tennessee Sports Writers Association’s Hall of Fame.

A native of Johnson City and a US Air Force veteran of the Vietnam War, Biddle joins John Adams of the Knoxville News Sentinel, and the late Harold Harris of the Knoxville News Sentinel who will be inducted July 11-12 in ceremonies scheduled at Lebanon's Cumberland University.

Biddle currently writes weekly columns for the Main Street Media family of newspapers including: The Wilson Post, The Gallatin News and The Hendersonville Standard as well as WKRN-TV and The Williamson Herald.

"This honor is long overdue," said Tommy Bryan, sports editor of The Wilson Post. "Joe is one of the icons of sports journalism in the Southeast. We consider it a privilege to have Joe's work on our pages."

Biddle attended East Tennessee State and worked for the Johnson City Press-Chronicle and Daytona Beach News Journal before he returned to Tennessee in 1979 -- first working for the Nashville Banner before moving to The Tennessean in 1998 after the Banner folded.

Biddle was a four-time Tennessee Sports Writer of the Year by the National Association of Sportscasters and Sportswriters.

He has been a Harris Poll voter in Tennessee since its inception and is state chairman for Heisman Trophy voting. He also served in Vietnam in the Air Force.

Biddle has covered 25 Super Bowls and Masters, approximately 20 Final Fours, 20-plus Sugar Bowls and a number of national championship games, as well as two Olympic Games (1984 and 1996), two Ryder Cups, almost a dozen Kentucky Derbys, the World Series and the Daytona 500.

BLUE League basketball results from games played Saturday, Jan. 5 at Winfree Bryant Middle School, Lebanon.

Girls -- Carroll Oakland 22, Castle Heights 1
scoring:
CO: Allissa Mulasky 11; Rebecca Brown 1; Morgan Jones 2; Aaron Grace Lester 6
CH: Kathryn Sanchez 1

Girls -- Coles Ferry 20, TXR 6
scoring:
CF: Anne Marie Heidebreicht 14; Honesty Weir 2; Carrie Moscardelli 2; Amari Vaught 2
TXR: Kaylee Baker 2; Makenzie Mohr 4

Girls -- Sam Houston 18, Byars Dowdy 11
scoring:
SH: Malley McElihiney 2; Ali Davis 4; Samaya Rhodes 8; Courtney Allen 4
BD: Autumn Calvo 1; Breanna Buhler 2; Marquaja Nunley 2; Kaylyn Tarpley 4; Delisha 2

Boys -- Carroll Oakland 23, Castle Heights 10
scoring:
CO: David Greene 10; Colin H. 2; Gaven Reasonover 2; Michael Sells 4; Carson Boles 3; Peyton B. 2
CH: Dawson Allen 2; Luke Bradshaw 2; Wyatt Simmons 2; Jackson Painter 2; Justin Burch 2

Boys -- Coles Ferry 34, TXR 10
scoring:
CF: Mark McDearman 2; Dorian Champion 8; Brady Chappell 2; Malcolm Logue 7; Garrett Pope 2; Will Burress 4; Luka Saller 8; Jordan Carter 1
TXR: Preston Creswell 4; Mason Loftis 2; Dalton Height 1; Ian Roberts 1; Elijah Williams 2

Boys -- Byars Dowdy 36 Sam Houston 28
scoring:
BD: Jeremiah Hastings 13; Edmund Stewart 11; Braden Wilson 3; Will Seats 2; Jackson Carson 7
SH: Chase Birdwell 4; Polo Phillips 14; Jamar Kinard 10