MARIETTA, Ga. ---- The men's basketball team pulled off a miraculous comeback after nearly giving the game away, Lorenzo Ferrell nailing a buzzer beater to earn the Running Eagles' a 73-71 victory over Cumberland tonight in the Eagles' Nest.
 
NOTES
• Life U improves to 7-5 (3-5) on the year, while Cumberland falls to 6-8 (5-7).
• The Running Eagles offense found itself going on or off in spurts over the course of the night, but had enough to continue their dominance at home this season.

STANDOUT PERFORMERS 
• Derrick Cook came up big on the night, putting together a tough, workman-like game on his way to a 17 point, 10 rebound double-double. The senior also showed up big on the rest of the stat board, collecting four assists and two steals.
• Isaiah Hart had yet another huge game for Life U, making 15 points to go along with his game-high four steals, four boards, and three assists.
• Jordan Hernandez put up a cool 15 points to go with a rebound, two assists, and a steal.

HOW IT HAPPENED 
• The Running Eagles got out to a strong start, moving ahead 8-2 early after Hart splashed in a shot from deep while falling to the side. As would be a running theme through the first half, after making some distance the Phoenix came pulling back close. Hart connected on a beautiful floater while charging into the lane to extend the lead to 14-11 with over 13 minutes left in the half.
• Hernandez hit a shot assisted by Derrick Cook from NBA range to see the lead stretch out to 19-11. Cumberland was forced into calling a timeout with 6:44 left in the half after Life U went up 11, 26-15, off another nifty Hart layup in traffic. James Leible hit a deep shot with just over two minutes in the half to end a Running Eagle scoring drought for a 31-26 advantage.
• Just inside of the first minute of play Cook hit a shot underneath to go up 37-30. Nathan Presnell collected a rebound off a blocked shot that he put back up and in to maintain a 43-37 lead with just under 16 to play. Cook kept up his tough play in the second half, grabbing his own missed shot and toughing his way back up for a bucket 49-41. Ferrell connected on a big shot from the corner in transition assisted by Cam Horton to take the team's biggest lead yet at 54-41 at 12:27.
• Hernandez got a shot in near the basket from a Hart inbound to keep the lead at 60-52 with 6:50 left to play. Ferrell scored a three with 3:53 left to play to go up 68-59, but the Running Eagles would not connect on another shot for well over three minutes. The Phoenix hit a three to go up 71-70, leaving just 10.5 seconds on the clock for Life U to work with. It turned out to be just the right amount of time left as Ferrell drained a buzzer beater from the far side of the court for the 73-71 win.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
• Life U did not shoot as well as the Phoenix, hitting 25-for-55 (45.5%) from the floor as opposed to Cumberland's 29-for-54 (53.7%), but the Running Eagles did a great job of making the most of their trips to the free throw line. The team went 17-for-20 (85%) from the line compared to the Cumberland's 5-for-9 (55.6%).
• The team's tied at rebounds with 30 each and were also similar in turnovers with 20 for the Running Eagles and 24 for the Phoenix.
 
UP NEXT 
• The men's basketball stays at home for its next contest, taking on conference foe Thomas Moore for a mid-week tilt Thursday, January 28 at 6 PM.