UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549


                                  SCHEDULE 13G

                    Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934


                                LENDINGTREE, INC.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                (Name of Issuer)

                     Common Stock, $.01 Par Value Per Share
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                         (Title of Class of Securities)

                                    010837260
                                    ---------
                                 (CUSIP Number)


                                 October 9, 2001
                                 ---------------
                      (Date of Event which Requires Filing
                               of this Statement)



Check the appropriate box to designate the rule pursuant to which this Schedule
is filed:

                  [  ]      Rule 13d-1(b)
                  [X ]      Rule 13d-1(c)
                  [  ]      Rule 13d-1(d)



*The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting person's
initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and
for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter the
disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

The information required on the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed
to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 ("Act") or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act
but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the
Notes).




--------------------                                         -------------------
CUSIP No. 010837260                     13G                   Page  2 of 6 Pages
--------------------                                         -------------------

---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
        1  NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
           I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON

           Cumberland Associates LLC
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
        2  CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
                                                            (a) [ ]

                                                            (b) [X]
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
           SEC USE ONLY
        3
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
        4  CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION

           New York
-------------------- ------ ----------------------------------------------------
                         5  SOLE VOTING POWER

                            890,300
                     ------ ----------------------------------------------------
     NUMBER OF           6  SHARED VOTING POWER
      SHARES
   BENEFICIALLY             109,700
     OWNED BY
                     ------ ----------------------------------------------------
       EACH              7  SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
     REPORTING
      PERSON                890,300
       WITH
                     ------ ----------------------------------------------------
                         8  SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER

                            109,700
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
        9  AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON

           1,000,000
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
       10  CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN
           SHARES [   ]
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
       11  PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (9)

           5.27%
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
       12  TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*

           OO, IA
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
                      *SEE INSTRUCTION BEFORE FILLING OUT!

                                Page 2 of 6 pages




Item 1(a)           Name of Issuer:
                    --------------

                    LendingTree, Inc. (the "Issuer")

Item 1(b)           Address of Issuer's Principal Executive Offices:
                    -----------------------------------------------

                    11115 Rushmore Drive
                    Charlotte, North Carolina 28277

Item 2(a)           Name of Person Filing:
                    ---------------------

                    This statement is being filed by Cumberland Associates LLC.
                    Cumberland Associates LLC is a limited liability company
                    organized under the laws of the State of New York, and is
                    engaged in the business of managing, on a discretionary
                    basis, ten securities accounts (the "Accounts"), the
                    principal one of which is Cumberland Partners. Gary G.
                    Tynes, Bruce G. Wilcox, Andrew M. Wallach and Dipak M. Patel
                    are the members (the "Members") of Cumberland Associates
                    LLC.

Item 2(b)           Address of Principal Business Office:
                    ------------------------------------

                    The address of the principal business and office of
                    Cumberland Associates LLC and each of the Members is 1114
                    Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10036.

Item 2(c)           Citizenship:
                    -----------

                    Cumberland Associates LLC is a New York limited liability
                    company. Each of the Members is a citizen of the United
                    States.

Item 2(d)           Title of Class of Securities:
                    ----------------------------

                    Common Stock, par value $.01 per share (the "Shares")

Item 2(e)           CUSIP Number:
                    ------------

                    010837260

Item 3              Not Applicable

                                Page 3 of 6 pages




Item 4              Ownership:
                    ---------

Item 4(a)           Amount Beneficially Owned:

                    As of October 9, 2001, Cumberland Associates LLC may be
                    deemed the beneficial owner of 1,000,000 Shares.

Item 4(b)           Percent of Class:
                    ----------------

                    The number of Shares of which Cumberland Associates LLC may
                    be deemed to be the beneficial owner constitutes
                    approximately 5.27% of the total number of Shares
                    outstanding.

Item 4(c)           Number of shares as to which such person has:
                    --------------------------------------------

                    (i)      Sole power to vote or to direct the vote:
                             890,300

                    (ii)     Shared power to vote or to direct the vote:
                             109,700

                    (iii)    Sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition
                             of:
                             890,300

                    (iv)     Shared power to dispose or to direct the
                             disposition of:
                             109,700

Item 5              Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class:
                    --------------------------------------------

                    If this statement is being filed to report the fact that as
                    of the date hereof the reporting person has ceased to be the
                    beneficial owner of more than five percent of the class of
                    securities, check the following. [ ]

Item 6              Ownership of More than Five Percent on Behalf of Another
                    Person:
                    --------------------------------------------------------

                    The beneficial owners of the Accounts have the right to
                    participate in the receipt of dividends from, or proceeds
                    from the sale of, the Shares held for each Account in
                    accordance with their ownership interests in each such
                    Account.

                                Page 4 of 6 pages




Item 7              Identification and Classification of the Subsidiary Which
                    ---------------------------------------------------------
                    Acquired the Security Being Reported on By the Parent
                    -----------------------------------------------------
                    Holding Company:
                    ---------------

                    Not Applicable

Item 8              Identification and Classification of Members of the Group:
                    ---------------------------------------------------------

                    Not Applicable

Item 9              Notice of Dissolution of Group:
                    ------------------------------

                    Not Applicable

Item 10             Certification:
                    -------------

     By signing below the signatory certifies that, to the best of his knowledge
and belief, the securities referred to above were not acquired and are not held
for the purpose of or with the effect of changing or influencing the control of
the Issuer of the securities and were not acquired and are not held in
connection with or as a participant in any transaction having that purpose or
effect.

                                Page 5 of 6 pages




                                    SIGNATURE
                                    ---------

     After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I
certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and
correct.



Dated:  October 17, 2001

                                            CUMBERLAND ASSOCIATES LLC


                                            By:     /s/ Bruce G. Wilcox
                                               -----------------------------
                                            Name:   Bruce G. Wilcox
                                            Title:  Member

                                Page 6 of 6 pages