The Lady Tigers started their defense of last season's regular-season Mid-South Conference title on the right foot as they dispatched Pikeville (12-5, 0-1 MSC) Thursday night at home in workmanlike fashion, 85-54.

Campbellsville (16-1, 1-0 MSC) got solid play from a variety of players and their second-half defense of the MSC's second leading scorer was solid. Pikeville's Natiera Hinton, bucketed 21 points after a first half where she led all scorers with 14. She scored her 1,000th career point with 3:45 left in the game.



The Lady Tigers did a little better job on Hinton in the second half and coach Ginger Colvin attributed that to a change in offensive phillosophy - simply not going at her so she couldn't get steals and create offense that way.

"We started out not doing the things we needed to," said Colvin. "We finally settled in and started playing a little better."

After an early 13-7 lead, turnovers began to plague the Lady Bears and Campbellsville went on a 19-8 run. By  the time senior Kristi Engsminger hit a basket at the 5:26 mark of the first half the Lady Tigers led 33-23. Pikeville was able to close within five (33-28) with three minutes to go until intermission and they held the margin to seven points until half-time.

After the break, Campbellsville scored 19 of the next 29 points over an eight-minute span for a 62-42 lead. That lead grew to 24 three minutes later

Colvin acknowledged that her team has a target on its back, simply because of the success of the program.

"If we can just ride out the early waves that teams are throwing at us we'll be OK," Colvin said.

The Lady Tigers forced 24 Pikeville turnovers (13 in the first half) and won the rebounding battle 48-36. Campbellsville hit 40 percent from the field and 9 for 28 from beyond the arc.

Whitney Ballinger led Campbellsville with 21 points and 16 rebounds, twice as many rebounds as any other player. Mackenzie Lee chipped in 16 points, and Melly Heaton, Courtney Danis and Megan Isaacs had three assists apiece.

The Lady Tigers travel to Georgetown (9-7, 0-1 MSC) on Saturday for a showdown at 2:00.


PHOTO GALLERY

BOX SCORE

Scoring

Campbellsville (85) - Thomas 3, Heaton 9, Danis 8, Isaacs 2, Ballinger 21, Lee 16, Compton 5, Messer 7, Deason 2, Williams 4, Dunn 6 and Ensminger 2.

Pikeville (54) - Hinton 21, Mosley 10, Johnson 11, Johnson 8, Potts 2, Bailey 2.