CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. – An explosive start to the second half created separation for Campbellsville University men's basketball as the Tigers pulled away from a 35-33 halftime lead to down Brescia University, 69-50, in Powell Athletic Center. The Friday night win capped a graduation day at CU and closed the fall semester.

 

Brescia took an early lead and led for the first seven minutes of the game, largely due to nine points by Hunter Rowe. The Bearcats held a 9-3 lead before the Tigers rallied to the game, 12-12, on a 3-pointer by Jordan Myers. Malik Thomas gave the Tigers' their first lead of the night, 14-12, on a put-back basket after a missed Myers 3.

The Bearcats continued to hold onto their lead for most of the first half until Myers came up with another big 3-pointer to even the score, 33-33, with just under two minutes to play in the first half. Vernon Payne took the lead with a basket in the final minute, 35-33. CU held the Bearcats from getting a shot off in the final 27 seconds of the half.

Payne closed the first half with 18 points, including a monstrous, backboard-rattling dunk about five minutes into the game. He finished the game with 24 points, one below his CU career-high.

Rowe, who scored 12 points at halftime, finished the night with 15 to lead Brescia. Myron Christian followed with 12 points in the game.

Campbellsville used a 13-2 run to start the second half to break the margin into double figures and push to its largest lead yet at 13 points, 48-35. Moments later, the Tigers followed the run with a 16-7 run to pull to its largest lead of the night at 21 points, 66-45. Justin Ennis scored eight of his 11 points during this stretch.

Entering the game, Brescia prided itself in being ranked as one of the top field goal percentage defenses in the NAIA, holding opponents to 37 percent shooting. The Tigers shot 48 percent in the first half and finished the game at 45.1 percent. On the other side of the floor, Brescia also shot 48 percent in the first half, including 60 percent from the 3, but the Tigers silenced the Bearcats to only 19.2 percent shooting in the final 20 minutes. Brescia finished the game shooting 33.3 percent.

On the glass, Campbellsville out-rebounded Brescia by 20 (44-24), including an eight rebound margin on the offensive glass.

The Tigers (9-3) will take a 19-day break from game action before traveling to the University of Rio Grande to start the New Year on Jan. 3. Tipoff is 8 p.m. EST.


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