JACKSON, Tenn. – The No. 25 Carroll College women's basketball team fell in a defensive battle to No. 23 Cumberland (Tenn.) Friday morning in the opening game of the Jackson Rotary Classic.
 
The Saints held Cumberland leading scorer Nicole Bowers to eight points under her season average but the Phoenix got enough from the rest of the roster to squeak out the win.
 
Cassidy Hashley scored a game-high 19 points and nine rebounds, Hannah Dean also scored 13 points.
 
The two teams battled back and forth in the first quarter with neither team gaining an advantage more than two points. In the second quarter, Carroll built a five-point lead, the largest of the game, on a 3-pointer from Brittney Johnson with 5:16 left in the half.
 
Cumberland battled back to take a two-point lead but Dean hit a put-back bucket at the buzzer to tie the game at 21 at the half.
 
The Saints took another five-point lead with 6:24 left in the third quarter but again the Phoenix took a 42-41 lead into the fourth quarter.
 
Carroll tied the game at 47-47 with 5:45 left in the game but Cumberland closed the game on a 6-2 run to earn the four-point win.
 
The Saints were 18-53 (34 percent) from the field while Cumberland was 22-62(35.5 percent).  Cumberland outrebounded the Saints 38-32. Carroll had just 14 turnovers, the lowest of the season so far.
 
Carroll plays No. 20 Columbia (Mo.) tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. MST. The Cougars defeated Vangaurd (Calif.) 55-53 in their match up today.

Live video will be available on a pay per view basis via the Campbellsville University Athletics Website. Live stats are available via Dakstats.