Lebanon, Tenn. -- Sarai Rodriguez scored a career-best 25 points but the No. 12-ranked Cumberland University Bulldogs held on for a 71-63 win today (Nov. 21) at the Dallas Floyd Gymnasium in Lebanon, Tenn. 

The Bulldogs built a 17-point lead early in the fourth quarter but the Lady Evangels crept back into the game behind eight points from Rodriguez and a three by Lindsey Mann capped an 18-7 push that cut the deficit to 67-61 with 1:05 remaining in the game. 

But CU closed the game out by making all four shots at the foul line to fend off the Lady Evangels. 

The Lady Evangels were twice down seven points in the first quarter before buckets by Kelli Tolar and Tierra Brown helped MACU finish the period on an 11-3 run for an 18-17 lead. 

CU then opened the second quarter with the first nine points to take an eight-point lead and carried a 41-30 lead into the break. 

The Bulldogs extended the lead as high as 19 in the third but the Lady Evangels fought back to within 56-43 at the end of the quarter. 

Rodriguez shot a perfect 8-of-8 from the field and hit all five of her three-point attempts in scoring her game-high 25 points.  Tolar added 19 and D'Shala Culberson recorded a team-high seven rebounds.  Mann led the Lady Evangels (2-3) with six assists. 

Bre Neal led the Bulldogs (5-2) with 17 points and six assists while tying for team-high honors with seven boards. Julia Fox scored 11 and the Bulldogs also got 10 points each from Terra Pryor and Nicole Bowers. 

The Lady Evangels outshot the Bulldogs 47.9 percent (23-of-48) to 41.4 percent (29-of-70), but were out-rebounded 38-33 and the Bulldogs also enjoyed a 21-7 edge in points off turnovers. 

MACU will next play an exhibition contest at the University of Central Oklahoma (NCAA D-II) on Nov. 30 in Edmond, Okla.