Christian caps career night with game winner, women's basketball edges Cumberland

WILLIAMSBURG, Ky. - In what was already serving as her breakout college game, Jermyra Christian saved her best moment for the closing seconds.

The freshman guard scored the last of her career-best 20 points on a go-ahead jump shot with 29 seconds to play, and Midway proceeded to get two stops on the defensive end to earn a thrilling 73-70 win over Cumberland (Tenn.) in the first game of the Patriot Classic on Monday.

With 49 seconds remaining, the Phoenix evened the game at 70 on a basket by Myajae Eubanks, forcing the seventh tie of a back-and-forth fourth quarter.

But after shaking free of a defender, Christian, who was 7-of-14 from the field and 5-of-6 from the foul line, got a clean look and swished an open jumper.

Sereniti Webb, who led the Eagles with 10 rebounds, then made the defensive play of the night when she swatted away a Kayla Gordon layup attempt. 

After Midway split a pair of free throws on the other end, the Phoenix had one last chance to pull even, by Gordon missed a 3-point try, which Christian rebounded and dribbled out the game's final seconds.

Half of Christian's points came in the first quarter, in which the Eagles scored 27 points and made 11 free throws on a whopping 14 attempts. Foul shots proved to be a major factor all night, as Midway was 25-of-35 from the line, with Cumberland going just 17-of-30.

Just hours after being named River States Player of the Week, Kassidy Daugherty came up big in the fourth quarter, scoring eight of her 13 points. Jaiden Douthit also scored 13 points in the win as the Eagles exacted revenge from a 99-98 triple-overtime loss to the Phoenix a season ago.

After losing its first three games, Midway has earned consecutive wins (a Saturday loss to NCAA Division I Morehead State was an exhibition) to improve to 2-3.

The Eagles have a quick turnaround against a similarly named foe, as they face the Kentucky-based University of the Cumberlands on its home floor at 11 a.m. Tuesday. The Patriots enter the week ranked 13th in the NAIA. 

Follow Midway Eagles Athletics