JACKSON, Tenn. – The University of Providence responded well. A day after a 28 point loss to (3) Freed-Hardeman, the Lady Argos faced its second ranked team of the year and came away with a much different result, defeating (22) Cumberland University 59-36. 
 
UP held the Phoenix to just 4 points in the first quarter and then only 9 in the second. Overall, Cumberland shot 20 percent from the field, the lowest shooting percentage by a UP opponent all year.
 
"That was a great bounce-back from us today. I was really pleased with how we played defensively," Head Coach Bill Himmelberg said. "We really followed the defensive game plan and I thought it was our best defensive effort of the year. We really took them out of what they wanted to do."
 
With the defense thwarting Cumberland's offensive efforts, freshmen Emilee Maldonado and Parker Esary created a powerful inside-outside combination to get the Lady Argos out to an early lead. Esary scored the team's first 4 points, first off of a good move down in the post and then hit 2 free throws after getting fouled on a fastbreak. Maldonado then hit 2 threes to put the team ahead 10-3.
 
UP's lead grew to 10 by the end of the first quarter and continued to expand as the game got closer to halftime. Transfer junior Tristan Murphy came off the bench to score 6 points on 3-3 shooting on the way to her most complete game as an Argo.
 
"Tristan had her best game of the year both offensively and defensively," Himmelberg said. "She was really big inside and she looked a lot more comfortable in our offense."
 
Murphy's efforts, including UP's last 2 baskets of the half, had the team ahead 27-11 at the half.
 
Cumberland's offense was a bit more effective in the second half, getting over 10 points in both the third and fourth quarter, but the Lady Argos were still consistently better.
 
UP's offense was steady throughout the game, with the team's scoring totals only varying by 2 points in each of the four quarters. UP also shot 41 percent or better in each of the periods.
 
Free throws were big for the Lady Argos in fending off any comeback attempt down the stretch. After shooting just 2 free throws in the first half, UP went 10-11 from the charity stripe in the second half, including 6-7 in the fourth quarter.
 
For the first time in the last eight games, senior guard Stephanie McDonagh didn't lead the team in scoring. Instead, it was Maldonado who had the best shooting night of her career, going 5-11 for 16 points. It wasn't just scoring for her eight, she had tied for team highs with 4 assists and 2 steals, and was second on the team with 8 rebounds.
 
"She is capable of being the leading scorer on any given night," Himmelberg said. "Today we needed her and she really stepped up and hit some big baskets. She also ran our offense well and took care of the ball."
 
The Lady Argos also found a rim protector in the game with Tristan Murphy blocking 3 shots, the most by any UP player in a game in 2017-18. Murphy also had 8 points, a team leading 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal in 20 minutes off the bench.
 
McDonagh had her lowest scoring total since the second game of the year, a blowout win against Yellowstone Christian in which she only played 22 minutes, but still kept her streak of double-digit points alive. Her 10 points gives her double-digits in eight straight games and nine out the team's 10 games this season.
 
The win is UP's first over a ranked opponent this year and brings the team's record to 9-1 on the year. In the last two years, the Lady Argos are 20-1 against non-conference opponents including 3-1 against ranked non-conference teams.
 
Next for the team will be its first conference games, starting with a home game against Rocky Mountain College on December 2 at 5:30 p.m.