LEBANON, Tenn. – Lady Tiger Basketball hung on late and picked up a boost from the it's bench to outlast Bluefield College, 63-54, in the opening round of the Mid-South Conference Tournament.
Campbellsville University came into the MSC Tournament ranked No. 3 in the NAIA with an assist/turnover ratio of 1.2 but the Lady Tigers struggled on the day and turned the ball over 19 times and only dished out six assists.
Coach Ginger Colvin's team looked for someone to step up in the second half and got that boost from senior Mary Jehlik and freshman LeeAnn Grider. The duo came off the bench and made a difference in different fashions, with Grider upping the pressure on the defensive side and Jehlik scoring seven straight points with 10:17 left after Bluefield cut the lead down to two points.
Both Jehlik and Grider finished with three steals apiece to lead Campbellsville.
Lindsey Burd also gave CU a boost in the final five minutes and finished with a double-double, 10 points and 11 rebounds in the opening round win.
Bluefield's Janee Simmons picked up three fouls in the first 2:17 in the first half and had to take a seat next to Rams Head Coach Melissa Baker. She played 12 minutes in the second half and scored seven of her 10 points.
Simmons came in as Bluefield's leading rebounder but could not make much of a difference with two boards, as the Rams out-rebounded CU 41-38.
Burd also picked up two quick fouls in the opening half and Colvin decided to take a gamble much like Baker and put Burd back in. She picked up her third foul with 5:56 remaining.
Campbellsville has a much deeper bench than Bluefield, as the Lady Tigers have nine players who will accumulate 15-plus minutes a game. But no Campbellsville player averages more than 24 minutes a game and uses its bench more than anyone in the nation.
But eight seed Bluefield College would not let the No. 4 NAIA ranking in front of the Campbellsville team intimidate them and stuck right with the Lady Tigers.
There were nine lead changes and the score was knotted five times overall but Campbellsville took a 16-13 lead on a Caroline Owen 3-pointer and never trailed again.
The Rams went on a 7-1 run and cut the lead to three points, 29-26 with 3:25 left. But Ellen Sholtes stepped into a high arcing jumper and Daizah Kimberland picked up a steal and went coast-to-coast to push the CU leads to seven points.
Grider stepped up her defense in the backcourt for the Lady Tigers. The freshman from Russell Springs, Ky. picked up two steals, both leading to CU buckets late in the first half.
BC cut the lead to five points at the intermission.
Bluefield came out with a little fire in the opening minutes of the second stanza. The Rams cut the lead to two points, 36-34 with 16:50 left but Simmons picked up her fourth foul and had to take a seat on the bench once again.
Colvin looked for a spark from someone in her lineup and her second team played much of the second half. Mary Jehlik who set the nets aflame in the first two matchups against Bluefield this season, stepped up when her team needed a boost.
The senior, playing in her final MSC Tournament, picked up a steal in the Bluefield backcourt and had an easy layup, hit a 3-pointer and then hit a jumper from the left wing to put the Lady Tigers back up 48-40 with 10:17 left.
Bluefield went cold from the floor and did not score for four-plus minutes and did not hit a field goal for five-plus minutes and Campbellsville took advantage and held on late.
Burd was the only Lady Tiger in double-figures but Sholtes and Allen finished with nine points, Jehlik and Owen finished with seven and Grider finished with six.
Allen was behind Burd with five rebounds and Hayley Hellyer also pitched in grabbing four.
No. 1 seed Campbellsville will now play the winner between Lindsey Wilson College and Shawnee State University who were set to play after CU's game.
Campbellsville swept Lindsey Wilson throughout the season and have won 11-straight over the Blue Raiders. The Lady Tigers split with Shawnee State in the regular season after winning on each others respective home courts. Colvin is an overall 4-8 against the Bears in her seven seasons at the helm.
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