CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. – The 13^th annual Lou Cunningham Classic came to a close Saturday with Campbellsville University recording its first-ever win over perennial NAIA power Robert Morris University, 75-57, in Powell Athletic Center.

The win is the Tigers' 21^st in 25 games played in the classic since it began in 2000. It also salvaged a split for the Tigers over the weekend after falling to preseason No. 22 Martin Methodist College, 67-64, Friday.

"We come out of it with one loss and one win, but I think we come out of the Lou Cunningham Classic a better basketball team," said CU head coach Keith Adkins. "Our goal every year is to play top level teams out of the NAIA Division I and challenge ourselves with a  good schedule …I think we accomplished our goal, even though we came up one win short of where want to be."

Robert Morris (4-7), which is now 1-6 on the road this season, jumped out to a 14-8 lead to start the game, but the Tigers put together a 9-0 run to take a 17-14 lead on four straight points by Jordan Myers with seven minutes to play in the opening period. The Eagles managed to the game, 19-19, but were never able to get as close again.

Vernon Payne hit a three in the corner with 11 seconds remaining in the first half to give CU its largest lead so far at 35-27, but Anthony Shoemaker sank a half-court 3 at the buzzer to keep the game within in five, 35-30.

Shoemaker scored the opening basket of the second half to work the difference to three, but CU quickly grew its lead to nine and broke into double figures on a Justin Ennis basket with 10:15 to play. The rest of the game belonged to the Tigers. Justin Ennis and Vernon Payne, which led CU with 27 and 22 points, respectively, each scored 10 points in the final 10 minutes of the game.

Ennis added nine rebounds and four assists to go along with his career-high scoring performance. Payne had a double-double with 10 rebounds and added four blocks and three steals.

Shoemaker finished the night with 16 points for the Eagles, tied with Maurice Williams for the team lead, while Aubrey McAlpine had 10.

The game was the Tigers' 49^th overall game with the distinction of being part of the Lou Cunningham Classic. The tournament, which was started in 2000 during Adkins' first season as head coach, honors the CU Hall of Fame men's basketball coach, Cunningham, which won 335 games over 25 seasons at CU.

"I'm proud and humbled to be a part of the program that had such a class head coach for so many years like Lou Cunningham. As time goes on, people kind of forget when the years here were tough, and I want to make sure we don't forget who started this program that we're fortunate to continue today, and that's Coach Lou Cunningham," Adkins said. "I just want to thank him, his family, Barbara, Phil and David, I appreciate them allowing us to continue this and to honor him in a way he deserves with a classic in his name."

Campbellsville (8-3) will return home Friday, Dec. 14 for a 7 p.m. game against Brescia University in Powell Athletic Center. CU opened the 2012-13 season at Brescia with a 61-46 win.

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