UPLAND, Ind.--Sophomore Gracie Bobo came off the bench to score a career-high 20 points, including two crucial free throws with 2 seconds left, to help lead the Lawrence Tech women's basketball team rally from 10 points down to clip Cumberland (Tenn.), 77-74, on Wednesday to conclude the Taylor University Classic at Odle Arena. The Blue Devils up their overall record to 4-7, while the Phoenix slip to 7-6 on the season.

Lawrence Tech Highlights

• Freshman DeDe Smith also enjoyed a career-high performance with 18 points on 7-for-9 field goal shooting 
• Bobo nailed six treys in 11 attempts from the arc and her only two free throws at the end of the game preserved the non-conference win.
• Fifth-year senior Julia Huey and sophomore Kate Jacobs added 13 and 10 points, respectively. The former had a game-high four blocks.
• Senior Jade Faris (2 points, 2 blocked shots) led LTU with six rebounds.
• Classmate Dominique Evans (9 points, 2 steals) led all playmakers with five assists.

Cumberland Highlights

• Kayla Gordon led all scorers with 34 points, including 12 of 23 from the field and 10 for 11 at the free throw line, and had seven rebounds.
• Lindsey Freeman added 16 points (8-8 FTs) and had game highs of eight rebounds and three steals.
• Myajae Eubanks contributed 14 points.

How it Happened 

• Fifty-one of LTU's 77 points today came via the bench to showcase its depth. The Phoenix bench scored just six points.
• Cumberland built a 10-point lead, 25-15, to start the scoring in the second quarter.
• Huey had a trey with 4 minutes and 18 seconds left to give LTU its first lead at 33-32 since early in the contest. Huey (11 points) and Smith (7) keyed the 18-7 run to get the Blue Devils back into the game.
• The first half ended on a Bobo 3ball on the right wing to give LTU a 36-35 lead going into the lockerroom.
• To open the third quarter, Eubanks' layin gave the Phoenix their last lead at 37-36 and Jacobs converted a traditional three-point play to put LTU back up for good two possessions later, 38-37.
• The Blue Devils won the third quarter, 20-14, to lead 56-49 after 30 minutes.
• Lawrence Tech began the fourth on a 10-2 run to take a commanding 66-51 lead--15 points for its biggest of the day--with 6:19 remaining. Bobo ignited the spurt with a pair of treys and Jacobs had four points.
• Cumberland eventually cut the deficit to just one, 75-74, with a Gordon fastbreak layup with 8 ticks left on the clock. She scored 15 points during a 23-9 run by the Phoenix.
• The Phoenix outscored the Blue Devils in the paint, 40-20, and went 26-for-33 at the free throw line, where LTU was 12-of-18.

Beyond the Boxscore

• Today marked the first-ever meeting between the schools.
• Bobo upped her Wolverine–Hoosier Athletic Conference-leading three-point field goal percentage to .472 (25-53), which is 28th in the NAIA.
• Lawrence Tech has allowed just one opponent (Indiana Tech) this season to shoot 50 percent or better from the field.
• The Blue Devils are second in the WHAC in three-point field goal percentage defense (.260).
• Lawrence Tech had to survive the disqualification of three players, including two starters, who reached five personal fouls.
• The 77 points ties a season high for LTU, who also scored that many in a 15-point win at Aquinas on Dec. 16.
• Huey had as many three-points field goals in the game (3) as she did on the season coming in.

Up Next

• The Blue Devils will break for the Christmas holiday and close 2023 with the Ave Maria Classic in Florida. Lawrence Tech will play Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College on Thursday, Dec. 28 (3 p.m.), and the host Gyrenes on Friday, Dec. 29 (2 p.m.).