CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. – Campbellsville University couldn't have asked for a better way to open its 2012-13 Mid-South Conference schedule Thursday night. A tightly contested battle in front of an excited home crowd ended with junior forward Jordan Myers draining a 28-foot 3-pointer with 1.3 seconds remaining in overtime to upset ninth-ranked University of Pikeville, 90-87.

Myers' dagger was déjà vu for Bears fans. Last January, it was Myers, who hit a 3 from the corner of Powell Athletic Center to give CU a 58-57 victory.

"Twice in two years … it does a lot for his confidence and a lot for this team's confidence. Let's face it, the one last year and this one were huge shots. Those aren't easy shots," said CU head coach Keith Adkins. " Jordan is a big body guy, that as the game wears on it effects his conditioning a little bit, so to be able to hit that shot, that deep into a game shows that he wants the ball, and he wants to take that shot. There's a lot to be said for that."

CU led most all of the game, but fell behind 84-78 to start overtime. The Tigers chipped away at Pikeville's overtime burst, led mostly by Jamar "Deuce" Briscoe's eight points in the extra period. He finished the night with a game-high 34 points.

Malik Thomas pulled CU even with 19 seconds left, but Briscoe was called for a double dribble just across half-court, giving the ball back the Tigers with six seconds to play. Addison Smith helped set up the Myers' winner after drawing defenders to the basket and kicking it back to an open, and deep, Myers. Time expired as Myers' shot went in, and the CU Maroon Goons rushed the court. However, time had not actually run out, after 1.3 seconds were added and Brandon Greene missed his last second heave, Myers was mobbed again in front of the Tigers' bench.

"This is the best crowd, maybe in the country in the NAIA. They do an absolutely phenomenal job. That really carried us through the first half. Pikeville kept chipping away and chipping away, but they didn't go anywhere. It was huge to have them help carry us through," Myers said. "We as a team really came together tonight. I think we found out what it's like, and what we have to do, to win a big-time conference game. It doesn't get any easier from here. We'll cherish it a little bit and move on to the next one."

Campbellsville opened the game with a 2-0 lead from a Thomas basket and never looked back. At the 16 minute mark of the first half, Vernon Payne checked in for his first game as a Tiger. The transfer from Cape Fear Community College made an immediate impact, draining a 3 on his first shot attempt and then blocking a Brandon Greene shot that brought the crowd to its feet.

Payne would go on to that four more times for five blocks in the game to go along with 25 points, seven assists and six rebounds in his game since the 2011 junior college national tournament.

"He's been sitting, waiting a long time, and that's going to do a ton for his confidence. I think you got a glimpse tonight that that's the talent level he possesses," Adkins said of the 6-foot-6 player forward. "He changes us because of his ability to block shots – the length, the athleticism."

UPike's closest margin in the first half was an 11-11 tie at the 13 minute mark. Payne stretched the lead to seven, 23-16, with his second 3 of the night and later extended it to nine, 31-22.

Justin Ennis hit a 3 with 1:45 to play in the first half that pushed CU's lead into double digits, 43-32, for the first time in the game en route to a 47-33 halftime advantage.

To start the second half, Smith and Thomas quickly stretched the Tigers' lead to its largest of the night at 51-33. The duo finished the game with 18 and 17 points, respectively.

Pikeville began to chip away though, as Josh Whitaker hit a 3 to  pull the margin back to single-digits, 57-48, with 11:48 to play. Whitaker did it two more times, just minutes later, to cut the margin to 63-56 with 8:46 remaining. From CU's lead would get no larger than nine.

The Bears used a 17-7 run down the stretch to take a 73-72 lead on a Darnell Tubbs basket. James Briscoe later hit a 3 to go up 76-73, but Smith and Ennis worked things back in CU's favor, 78-76. Tubbs hit two free throws with 11 seconds remaining to send the game to overtime.

The win was CU's first 90-point Mid-South Conference game since beating West Virginia Tech, 95-55, on the road in December 2010.

"This was an important game as early as it was in the middle of November, because it's home conference games. To even have a chance moving forward, to not only win the conference, but to get in the top two or three, you have to try to win all of your home games," Adkins said. "Everyone you drop means you have to pick one up somewhere on the road, which is difficult in this league. Georgetown found that out tonight, losing at Bluefield. It was a big one for us."

Campbellsville (3-0, 1-0 MSC) will return home Saturday, Nov. 17 to host the University of Virginia's College at Wise at 4 p.m. EST. Wise (3-2, 0-1 MSC) lost its conference opener Thursday at No. 11 Lindsey Wilson College, 79-36.

Saturday's game will be televised on WLCU TV, locally on Comcast Channel 10 and streamed online at wlcutv.com. The game will also be broadcast on WLCU 88.7 FM and wlcufm.com.


STATS
Tigers (90) — Thomas 18, Myers 9, Smith 17, Stanic 3, Ennis 13, Payne 25, Taylor 5. Totals 36-59 11-20 90.
Pikeville (87) — Greene 6, Johnson 7, Briscoe 34, Whitaker 15, Setty 7, Saintil 3, Chapman 3, Tubbs 12. Totals 28-62 21-30 87.
Half-time — Coampbellsville 47-33.
Three-point goals – Pikeville 10-22 (Briscoe 5, Whitaker 3, Greene, Setty), Campbellsville 7-14(Ennis 3, Payne 2, Myers, Stanic).
Rebounds – Pikeville 28 (Tubbs 11, Setty 6, Whitaker 4), Campbellsville 38 (Thomas 7, Payne 6, Ennis 6, Myers 4).
Assists – Pikeville 7 (Johnson 6, Chapman), Campbellsville 23 (Payne 7, Myers 4, Clement 4, Smith 3, Ennis 3, Taylor 2).
Steals — Pikeville 10 (Greene 2, Johnson 2, Briscoe 2, Tubbs 2, Whitaker), Campbellsville 7 (Ennis 2).