WILLIAMSBURG, Ky. — The Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College women's basketball owned a halftime lead over No. 7 nationally-ranked University of the Cumberlands (Ky.) before eventually following by the score of 77-65 in non-conference action.

The Pomeroys fell to 6-5 on the season while Cumberlands improved to 11-1. SMWC will travel on short rest Saturday to Campbellsville-Harrodsburg (Ky.) on Saturday, December 14 with tip-off slated for 3 pm (ET).

SMWC got an early 3-pointer from Iyre Gomez off the assist from Diamond Bryant to take a 3-2 lead after the two teams traded opening possessions. Gomez's second trifecta of the early going capped a 5-0 run and gave the Pomeroys an 8-4 advantage. Brooklynn Jones would hit a jumper as the clock ticked under the five minute mark of the first quarter to stretch the cushion out to 12-6. Cumberlands would claw back into the contest but Madison Fueger hit a pair of free throws with 31 seconds on the clock to give the Pomeroys a 19-17 lead.

Cumberlands would grab a six-point lead before SMWC scored seven in a row capped by a Kylee Stepp 3-pointer with 3:41 remaining before the break to take a 30-29 lead. A conventional 3-point play by Jones with 2:45 remaining made it a full 10-0 run and the lead was 33-29. Stepp's second 3-pointer with 2:15 left before the half staked the Pomeroys to a 36-31 lead. They would own a 36-34 halftime advantage.

Fueger and Gomez scored on the opening possessions of the third stanza for a 40-36 lead. Cumberlands would score 15 of the game's next points and the Pomeroys were not able to climb back into the contest. 

SMWC scored the final eight points of the contest including a lay-up by Gomez with 13 seconds remaining but it was Cumberlands that earned the 77-65 victory.

Gomez hit a pair of 3-pointers to lead the way with 13 points while Fueger tallied 12 points and led the team with eight rebounds. The SMWC defense forced 27 turnovers in the contest and turned them into 16 points.