For the past four seasons The University of the Cumberlands has had the
Lady Tigers' number. Over that span Campbellsville is 1-9 against the
team from Williamsburg, Ky., and hasn't beaten the Lady Patriots on their
home floor since, well, Hector (2004) was a pup.
But the numbers changed for CU Thursday night as the Lady Tigers found
a number - a small one - and turned back Cumberlands in overtime 68-65
in the NAIA Game of the Week. The win gives the Lady Tigers a one-game
lead in the MSC standings.
Campbellsville 20-1 (5-0 MSC) was able to spit out the sour taste it acquired in last year's finals of the Mid-South Tournament when Cumberlands was better by 12 (69-57) points. But it wasn't until the Lady Tigers withstood a furious rally from Cumberlands. The Lady Patriots, down 22 at one time, tied the score at 33 in the second half and actually took a four-point (43-39) lead with 10 minutes to go in the game.
"(Seniors)
Kristi Ensminger nor
Shabree Hunter have ever been part of a a victory here," said CU head coach
Ginger Colvin, "so I'm happy for them."
Cumberlands went 11:39 in the first half without a field goal and trailed 30-8 with four minutes to go in the half. But the Lady Patriots rallied for an 11-1 run to close out the half and trailed 31-19.
"We caught every break there was in the first half," said Colvin. "They obviously didn't shoot it well, but I knew they'd make a run."
During CU's first-half run
Melly Heaton and
Mackenzie Lee dished out two assists apiece and
Courtney Danis scored nine points on 4-of-7 shooting. The Lady Tigers leading scorer,
Whitney Ballinger was held to eight first-half points. But the junior from Carrollton, Ky. shouldered the load in the second half with 22 to finish with 30 points and a career-high in rebounds, also a school record 28.
Tied 64-64 with 48 second left, Ballinger hit a layup. After Stephanie Quattrociocchi hit only 1-of-2 free throws for a 66-65 CU lead, Danis was fouled on a side out with 16 second to go. She sank both free throws that proved to be the margin of victory.
The second half was a reversal of the first as Campbellsville turned the ball over eight times in the first nine minutes and the Lady Patriots went on a 14-2 run to knot the score at 33-all. Cumberlands' fortunes from the field improved as well. After shooting only 11 percent through the game's initial 13 minutes (and 20 percent for the first half), UC ended the game hitting 38 percent of its shots. Overall, its 31.1 percentage for the game is a season low.
Lauren Wombles, who was held scoreless in the first half, bucketed 9 point in the second. Darnella Russell led Cumberlands with 19.
The biggest stat of all was Campbellsville's 22 turnovers, eight in the first nine minutes.
"I can't say enough for Kristi," said Colvin. "After those turnovers we put her at the point and she fed the post pretty good.
The Lady Tigers host St. Catharine College (8-14, 1-4) on Saturday at 2 p.m.
Scoring:
Campbellsville (68) - Ballinger 30, Thomas 2, Heaton 8, Danis 11, Isaccs 2, Lee 4, Messer 5, Dunn 4, Ensminger 2.
Cumberlands (65) - Martin 11, Quattrociocchi 13, Wombles 9, Thompson 11, Russell 19, Puckett 2.
PHOTO GALLERY
