Men's Basketball Upsets No. 17 Cumberlands on the Road

Williamsburg, KY– In a thrilling comeback victory, the Royals stunned No. 17 University of the Cumberlands with an 85-84 road win, securing their second victory over a top-25 opponent this season. The Royals erased an 11-point halftime deficit, culminating in a last-second shot by Caden Windle to seal the victory.

Head coach Logan Sharp praised his team's resilience, saying, "Great team win on the road against a top-25 opponent. We got down 11 at halftime—just kept battling, chipping away. Really was a good example of next man up. We had a guy out, then a starter got hurt in the first half. In the second half, the guys we put out there produced and played hard, kept battling. I challenged them at halftime. We knew we were right there in the game, and we weren't playing great in a number of areas. I challenged them to be better in those areas, and they came out and produced and found a way to get a win on the road."

The Royals were led by a stellar performance from Mason Lockhart, who poured in a game-high 40 points on 16-of-25 shooting while grabbing seven rebounds. Toris Woods added 17 points and six rebounds, while Tyler Moore chipped in nine points and four assists.

Despite trailing 49-38 at the break, Johnson locked in defensively in the second half, holding Cumberlands to just 39.3% shooting while executing efficiently on the offensive end. Their free-throw shooting (15-of-16) played a crucial role in the win.

With time winding down and the Royals trailing by one, Windle found an opening and drained the game-winning shot, capping off an incredible comeback and sending Johnson home with a hard-fought victory.

The Royals will look to carry this momentum into their next matchup as they continue their push through conference play and look to secure a top seed in the conference tournament.