Shorthanded Cats Fall at Cumberlands

WILLIAMSBURG, Ky. -The Bethel Wildcats fell to the No. 5 Patriots of the University of the Cumberlands Saturday in Williamsburg.

The Cats fell to 14-14 overall and 3-9 after the 83-54 loss.

It was the regular season finale for both teams, UC moved improved to 25-3 and 10-2. The Patriots finished 14-0 at home on the season.

The Wildcats played the game without two starters as Querrion Gadson and Jose Nazario did not make the trip.

Bethel shot 31 percent from the floor and hit just 1-of-11 three-point attempts. The Cats also struggled from the free throw line, hitting just 13-of-25 attempts.

UC shot 44 percent from the field and hit 12 three-pointers.

Kendan Maddox led Bethel with 17 points and nine rebounds. Ethan Turner had 10 points and 10 boards.

J J Ramey led the Patriots with 16 points.                                                                                                                           

Postseason Update:

 Mid-South Conference Men's Basketball Tournament Bracket Released

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. -- Mid-South Conference officials released the 2024 MSC Men's Basketball Tournament bracket with the conclusion of the regular season on Saturday.

The conference tournament begins on Saturday, March 2 and continues through Monday at Studle Financial Arena on the Bowling Green High campus.

Cumberlands (Ky.) and Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) share the MSC regular-season championship with 10-2 conference records. It is one of two ties in the standings.

Freed-Hardeman earns the No. 1 seed and the bye into the conference semifinals based on the fourth tiebreaker of point differential in games played between the two teams this season.

The point differential in the two regular season games is one point -- Freed-Hardeman won 81-73 on Jan. 27 and Cumberlands won 91-84 on Feb. 10.

Campbellsville (Ky.) and Bethel (Tenn.) tied for fifth in the standings with 3-9 conference marks. Like the tie for first, the Campbellsville-Bethel tie also comes down to point differential. Campbellsville is the No. 5 seed with a two-point advantage in the season point total. The Tigers beat Bethel 87-70 in mid-January and the Wildcats won 81-76 in mid-February.

Freed-Hardeman faces the winner of No. 4-seed Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) and Campbellsville in Sunday's first semifinal. The Blue Raiders and the Tigers open the tournament at 2:30 p.m. CT on Saturday in one of three quarterfinal games.

In the lower half of the MSC bracket, Cumberlands faces No. 7-seed Cumberland (Tenn.) at 5 p.m. CT on Saturday while No. 3-seed Georgetown (Ky.) plays No. 6-seed Bethel at 7:30 p.m. CT.

The semifinals are slated for 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. CT on Sunday with the championship game scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CT on Monday, March 4.

The tournament champion earns the Mid-South's automatic bid into the NAIA National Championship.