HUNTINGTON, Ind. – If miles could be converted into points, the Campbellsville University Lady Tigers would take seven tonight. After traveling more than 1,200 miles in the past week to Missouri and Indiana, the Lady Tigers' road trip fell short of a sweep Saturday, losing at Huntington University, 72-66.
CU (2-1) overcame an 18-point halftime deficit to have a chance at the win in the final minute.
"We battled and we fought, but we could not get over the hump," said Ginger Colvin, CU's head coach. "(Huntington is) a team to be reckoned with. They're up there with Indiana Wesleyan and Shawnee State, when Shawnee was NAIA D2.
"Defensively, we were good in spurts … (but) we just didn't do a good job defensively on them at all. We didn't have a great presence in the post and on the boards … We've got to be a better rebounding team. We knew that going in but we're still not there. We have the bodies to do it."
Campbellsville out-rebounded Huntington by seven in the game, 35-32, led by seven each from Mackenzie Lee and Mrashi Karumba. However, the Foresters took advantage of a plus-six rebound margin in the first half to help pull away.
The game began with a back-and-forth flow with Huntington leading 8-7 before CU hit an offensive lull. Over the next six and a half minutes, Huntington grew its lead to 20-11. The lead doubled before halftime, 40-22.
Huntington worked its lead to 20 early in the second half before Campbellsville started to heat up offensively. Chelsea Craig scored three-straight buckets to work the deficit into single digits, 49-40. The CU run grew to 19-7, pulling the Lady Tigers within five points, 49-44. CU kept it a two-to-three-possession game the rest of the way.
With 2:20 remaining, Karumba hit a 3 to cut the difference to two for the first time since the 12 minute mark in the first half. The basket followed back-to-back baskets by Daizah Kimberland as part of a 7-2 swing. Kimberland led all CU with 14 points, while Karumba had a season-high 12 points in her third game for CU.
"I think (Karumba) she's going to be key for us throughout the season. This is a kid that this is at her fourth team in four years. She hit two gut-check 3s and had a couple of drives down the lane. Even if she didn't score points, she was so good defensively. She's real gritty and does a lot for us. She's got a great attitude," Colvin said.
Two points was the closest CU would get in the final two minutes though, as Huntington had a jumper and four-straight free throws to insure its lead by eight points.
Courtney Clifton scored with two seconds left to cap the night. She finished the night with 12 points.
Allison Greene and Pazia Speed scored 25 and 22, respectively, for Huntington.
Campbellsville (2-1) will return home next week for a three-game Mid-South Conference home stand. CU will host the University of Pikeville in its MSC opener Thursday, Nov. 15 at 6 p.m. EST.
STATS
