LEBANON, Tenn. – Tiger basketball moved to 5-0 in the Mid-South Conference with a 73-59 win at Cumberland University on Saturday. The win will likely help shoot No. 19 Campbellsville (12-1) into the NAIA Top 5 when the new poll is released Tuesday, Dec. 9.

"I told our guys going into the game, this was going to be the most important game of the year up to this point. We're now 5-0, alone for first place in the Mid-South Conference for over a month," CU head coach Keith Adkins. "We've put ourselves in a good situation. Now, where can we take it when we get things rolling in January and February?"

Campbellsville appeared to have little trouble in the game, leading all the way after scoring its first points on an Eric Gaines layup 15 seconds following tipoff.

The Tigers opened with a 9-0 lead in the first three minutes and grew their lead to as many as 16 points, 36-20, at halftime following a jumper and 3 by Darius Clement.

Miles Rice and Damontre Harris helped make it a 20-point game in the first two minutes of the second half, as Campbellsville opened the half on a 18-7 run to double Cumberland's score, 54-27, on a 3-pointer in the corner by Rob Robinson with 14:52 to play. With 12 minutes to go, Rice hit a 3 to give the Tigers a 29-point lead, 63-34.

However, Cumberland used an 18-2 run to cut the deficit to 13 points, 65-52, with a 4:35 to play. Cameron Prather hit a 3 with 1:35 to go to get the score within 12 points, but CU did not break, despite its bend in the final six minutes.

"We tried to make it as exciting as the girls' game," Adkins joked on radio following the win. CU's women pulled out a 69-66 win in double overtime to start the day.

"It was good effort for the most part, but right now we're trending toward being terrible in the last five minutes of the game. This will get us beat, if we're not careful … I'm happy with the win, but I asked the guys after the game, 'what's your goal? If you have the highest aspiration to win a conference championship, go to the national tournament and contend, then you can't be happy with how we're finishing games right now.'"

Campbellsville spread its 73 points among seven players, including five in double-figures. Harris led the way with his seventh double-double, scoring 14 points and adding 11 rebounds. He also had three blocks in 31 minutes, giving him 50 on the year.

Robinson, Rice and D'Von Campbell each scored 12 points, while Campbell added eight assists. Gaines finished with 10 points and Clement had eight.

The Tigers shot the ball well throughout the game, hitting 13-of-34 3-pointers and connecting on 48.3 percent of its shots from the floor. Campbellsville only went to the foul line once and knocked down both attempts.

Cumberland (5-6, 2-3 MSC) was led by Prather's 13 points, followed by 10 from Uros Benacek.

After playing four games in the last eight days, Campbellsville will take eight days off from competition this next week before hosting two-time defending NCCAA DII national champions Ohio Christian University on Monday, Dec. 15 at 7:30 p.m. in Powell Athletic Center.

CU will close the semester with a trip to Little Rock, Ark., Dec. 19-20 to play John Brown University and Philander Smith University.