Bowling Green, KY – Despite breaking down a 13-point lead in the second quarter to take the lead, the Bears lost a gritty battle with Cumberlands 71-63 Friday night in the quarterfinal of the MSC Tournament. First-Team All-MSC selection Morgan Stamper once again piloted the Bears, icing the cake with her 20^th double-double.

The loss marks the third straight time the Bears have dropped from MSC Tournament play in the quarterfinals. UPIKE beat Cumberlands in both regular season contests, ending 2-1 following the postseason loss. The Bears likely end the 2021-22 campaign with an overall record of 18-13 (11-11 MSC).

Led by a Stamper and Mary Englert who each had 10 boards, UPIKE dominated the rebound battle by a margin of 13. An Achilles heel for the Bears was shooting from the perimeter, only connecting on four of 16 attempts from three.

Stamper's 20^th double-double came in a 15-point performance where the sophomore outhustled the Patriots all but six minutes of the contest. Stamper went 6-11 from the floor and added a pair of blocks and a steal. Englert was impressive and offered a double-double as well with 12 points, also hounding the Patriots with a season high three blocks.

The Patriots took control in the first quarter, shooting well from outside and outmanning the Bears in the paint. Coach Williams' squad adjusted in the second, forcing the Patriots to play physical while leaning on the duo of Mary Englert and Stamper. The Bears turned a 26-13 UC lead into a one-point ballgame at the half after outscoring the Patriots 17-5 in the period. Bailey Frazier dropped in a pair of free throws to cap the half, with UC leading 31-30.

Morgan Stamper gave the Bears their first lead with a free throw which made it 32-31 in the third quarter before Georgia Sideri knocked down a triple. UC tied the game once again with just over 7:00 to play and the two teams would tie it up five more times in the period. The Patriots ended the period with an 11-4 run to lead 56-49 headed into the final period.

The fourth saw the Bears struggle to settle into a rhythm, and the opening minutes were sporadic for both teams. UC played solid defense to thwart the Bears and maintained their lead as UPIKE scored just four points in the final five minutes.

Coach Williams and company will look to regroup with a lot to build on from the season, looking forward to several key returners and ever exciting outlook on possible newcomers to the program. Follow UPIKE_WBB on Twitter and upikewbb on Instagram for off-season updates.