LEBANON, Tenn. – After Shawnee State University played spoiler on CU's Senior Day back on Feb. 15, Lady Tiger Basketball got sweet revenge in the Mid-South Conference semifinals, routing the Lady Bears, 84-63. Campbellsville University, ranked fourth in the NAIA, advances to the MSC Championship game for the fifth time in six years. CU will face No. 9 Georgetown College in the championship game Sunday, March 9 at 3:30 p.m. CDT.
Campbellsville picked up a double-digit lead, 21-10, at the 12:45-mark in the first half, and Shawnee State was never able to get back in the game.
"We really wanted this game," said CU Head Coach Ginger Colvin. "We won the MSC Regular Season and now our goal is the tournament championship."
Campbellsville started just about as good as it could wanted. CU's Ellen Sholtes put the team on her back in the early minutes. Her quickness and strength off the dribble was too much for Shawnee State. The senior caused three SSU fouls in the first 1:30 and hit 4-of-6 free throws. She finished with a team leading 10 points in the first stanza.
Caroline Owen hit an early 3-pointer off the right wing and Lindsey Burd went to work in the paint to score six points to push CU's lead to 13 points, 23-10 with 11:45 left.
Hayley Hellyer checked in after Daizah Kimberland picked up two fouls and the senior hit the offensive boards hard. In her first five minutes of play, she picked up five rebounds with four coming on the offensive glass.
Campbellsville picked up 17 rebounds with nine coming on the offensive side compared to Shawnee's nine total rebounds in the first 10 minutes.
"Our team has played well all season and now it's getting down to crunch time," Colvin said. "We moved the ball really well on offense and our defense was smothering Shawnee and Alannah Sheets."
CU held Shawnee State's leading scorer and MSC Player of the Year to just 14 points. The senior struggled to get going because of the defensive pressure, mainly provided by CU senior Mary Jehlik.
"Mary played awesome tonight," Colvin said. "Her defense on Alannah Sheets was fantastic. She picked up a few big rebounds as well and helped us in every fashion of the game."
The hits kept coming for Campbellsville, though, in the first half. Shawnee State went cold and did not score for nearly four minutes. The Lady Tigers upped the RPM's and started to run up and down the floor in transition, trying to wear down the shallow bench for Shawnee State.
Usually the banks close early on Saturday's, but for Katie Allen, they stayed open as the senior from Ft. Thomas, Ky., used the glass on a 3-pointer to give Campbellsville its biggest lead of the first half at 22, 45-23.
CU led at half time, 45-25.
It was all Campbellsville in the second half and Shawnee State could not answer the Lady Tiger pressure and pace of the game.
Sholtes, a senior from Louisville, Ky., paced CU with 22 points, surpassing her career-high previously set at 20 points against University of the Cumberlands.
Kristen Jacob also reached career numbers tonight, as the sophomore played 17 minutes and pitched in 10 points, tying her career-high. Hellyer scored 14 points off the bench.
Burd, who was also in foul trouble in the first half recorded her second-straight double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Allen finished with 12 points, rounding out the Lady Tigers in double figures.
To follow Lady Tiger Basketball throughout the rest of the MSC Tournament, check out the Tournament central page, HERE!
You can also follow CU Basketball on Twitter - @LTB_CU and @CvilleTigers. Also on Facebook – Campbellsville Tigers.
