Box Score CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. - Adrian Whelan knocked down three free throws with 1.4 seconds remaining to seal Campbellsville University's 75-74 upset of Life University.

The Tigers didn't mind waiting three more days to play the game, originally scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 13. Rescheduled due to icy road conditions, the new date was a gain for CU's sixth-man, drawing one of the largest crowds of the season, as students returned to Powell Athletic Center for the first time since December.

Whelan put on a show late for the home crowd, coming off the bench to score a career-high 12 points in 24 minutes of play, including nine of CU's 12 overtime points. At the end of the night, Whelan had a career night in the clutch. Far gone were his days as a third-string guard off the bench, which were plagued by injury and standout transfer guards.

"Adrian played well, take away the one turnover late. He defended hard and made shots. Adrian's always in the right spot and always done things correctly," CU head coach Keith Adkins said.

Game-after-game, Whelan had served as the role player, playing small minutes in games already put away, but that all changed Dec. 4 when the Tigers' roster was shaken up. After losing two key players from the team, Whelan was thrown into the Tigers' rotation as a main reserve. Whelan was business as usual Monday, hitting three 3s and keeping his high shooting percentage from the charity stripe.

"I'm happy he's getting some playing time and taking advantage of it, battling through injuries and numbers at his position over the years. He's one of those guys that hangs in there. He doesn't complain about his opportunities. He's never ill prepared when an opportunity comes his way. This year he's really made the most of his opportunities," Adkins said.

Before Whelan took over the Tigers' offense in overtime, it was senior guard Shawn Savage who posted a career night with 27 points to lead CU. Savage connected on six 3-pointers. The Bowling Green, Ky., native had 18 points in the first half, including eight points in the first seven minutes to keep Life's early lead within a possession. After Savage tied the game, 19-19, Life went up by six, 28-22, late in the first half.

CU capped the half with a 15-2 run, including six points from Sasha Mirosavljev to enter halftime with 37-30 lead.

In the second half, Campbellsville led by eight, 42-34, before Life rallied to the game, 47-47, with 14 minutes left in regulation. The Eagles led most of the final 10 minutes, with CU forcing a few ties, including a layup by JaVaughn Espritt in the final seconds to send the game into overtime, 63-63. Espritt finished with a double-double 12 points, 11 rebounds. Caleb Harris was key for the Tigers' defenisvely, collecting nine rebounds and adding three assists on offense before being knocked out of the game as part of a collision under the basket early in the second half.

Whelan scored the first six points of overtime to give CU a 69-67 lead and later gave the Tigers their final lead with the game-winning free throws.

The win closes out the Tigers' tough non-conference schedule against NAIA programs, shutting down a Life team that averages 81.4 points per game. The Tigers were aided by poor shooting by the Eagles from the field (37.8 percent) and at the line (52.6 percent).

"We needed this one, especially the way it happened. We haven't improved our chances for anything. It doesn't mean anything in rankings, but for our morale, we needed something positive to happen against a good team, and we got that. This win doesn't create any opportunities for us, but a loss would have been devastating," Adkins said. "To hold them to 63 in regulation, we gave ourselves a chance to win … This is a team that scored 105 against Georgetown the other night. We have to look at this and say, 'Hey, we did what we were supposed to.'"

Campbellsville (11-7) travels to rival Lindsey Wilson College on Thursday for a Mid-South Conference game at 9 p.m. ET.

STAT SUMMARY
Life (74) - Hooper 4, Reese 20, Meyers 14, Bryant 10, Rouse 11, Moon 2, Driver, 13. Totals 28-74 10-19 74.

Tigers (75) - Smith 8, Harris 1, Savage 27, Espritt 12, Crittenden 7, Whelan 12, Mirosavljev 6, Bohm 2. Totals 22-60 21-32 75.

Half-time - Campbellsville 37-30.

Three-point goals - Life 8-26 (Reese 4), Campbellsville 10-31 (Savage 6, Whelan 3).

Rebounds - Life 44 (Meyers 8), Campbellsville 46 (Espritt 11, Smith 11, Harris 9).

Assists - Life 7, Campbellsville 16 (Savage 4, Espritt 4, Harris 3).

Steals - Life 14 (Meyers 4), Campbellsville 7 (Espritt 3).

Blocked shots - Life 1, Campbellsville 4 (Smith 2).