Box Score Columbia, Mo. - The Lady Cougar basketball team closed out the 2013 Cougars vs. Cancer Classic with an 89-81 victory over 20^th-ranked University of the Cumberlands on Saturday night. Columbia, ranked 21^st in the NAIA Top 25 Poll, improves to 6-4 on the season with the win.

The Lady Cougars overcame a slow start to take their first lead of the contest at 22-21 with 9:32 to play in the opening period. The Patriots responded with a 13-4 run over the next three and a half minutes and took their largest lead of the frame at 41-29 with 4:52 remaining in the first half. However, Columbia battled back to outscore Cumberlands 16-7 over the remainder of the period to pull within three at 48-45 at the halftime break. The Lady Cougars took their first lead since midway through the first half on a pair of free throws by Corri Hamilton with just over 15 minutes to play in the final period. The lead would change hands six times over the next four minutes, with Columbia taking a 72-67 advantage on a jumper by Heather English and three-pointer by Tierney Seifert. The Patriots answered with five quick points to tie it at 72, but a 9-2 run by the Lady Cougars put them in front for good as they knocked off the 20^th-ranked Patriots for the first time in six games.

Columbia shot 46 percent from the field and hit 35 of 47 attempts (74 percent) from the free-throw line on the night, led by English with a game-high 26 points. Ashley Fisher added 14 points off the bench and Petrolina Chilaka and Laurel Wichmann chipped in 10 points each.

In Sunday's earlier game, the William Woods women's squad defeated the University of Saint Mary by a score of 79-54. The All-Classic Team was also announced following Sunday's games, which included Destani Stensrud and Andraquay Quinnine from William Woods, Jill Herman of Cumberlands and Tierney Seifert and Corri Hamilton of Columbia. English was named the tournament's most valuable player.

The Lady Cougars will be back in action on Thursday, January 2^nd when they resume American Midwest Conference (AMC) play at Park University. Game time is set for 5:30 pm in Parkville, Mo.