BILLINGS, Mont. — Lady Tiger basketball ended the first half on a 23-6 run and Talladega College could never recover, as Campbellsville won its opening round game of the NAIA Division 1 Women's Basketball National Tournament, presented by Wells Fargo, 84-75.
 
The Lady Tigers will now play the winner of Baker and Mobile, which tipped off after CU. Game time in the Round of 16 is scheduled for Friday at 2:30 p.m. ET at the Rimrock Auto Arena in Billings, Mont.
 
Jordan Doram led CU with 18 points on 9-of-12 shooting, while lefty Madison Stewart was a force in the paint by matching a season-high 17 points. Emily Fox hit Campbellsville's lone 3s of the day with four and finished with 15 points. Lauren Turner distributed the ball the best she has all year, dishing out a career-high 10 assists.
 
The Lady Tigers outshot Talladega by hitting 55.6 percent (31-of-56) from the floor compared to 45.7 percent (27-of-59) by the Tornados. CU also made 85 percent from the free throw line (18-of-21) compared to 57.8 percent for TC (11-of-19).
  Campbellsville came out on fire, jumping to a 14-7 lead after a Madison Clements basket. The Tornado awoke, though, with an 11-6 run to take a 20-18 lead after Sashanique Youngblood converted a basket after one of the 16 Lady Tiger turnovers.
 
Tasheba Henry then nailed one of her game-high six 3-point baskets and later hit another to extend Talladega's lead to six, 27-21 with 7:18 left in the second quarter. Henry finished with a career-high 35 points but did not get much help from her teammates. Tajanee Wells, who averages almost 20 points per game, was held to seven on 2-of-8 shooting. 
 
But then it was all Campbellsville to end the half. CU stepped up its defense and held Talladega without a point for the next 2:22 and went on an 8-0 run to regain the lead, 29-27, after Clements made a free throw.
 
The Lady Tigers then capped the half on a 23-6 run and led 41-33 at the break. Fox led CU with 14 first-half points and hit all of her four 3s in the opening stanza – none bigger than the one with four clicks left on the first-half clock.
 
CU kept the double-figure margin until Deshanna Cook made the second of her three 3-point baskets with seven seconds left in the frame, pulling Talladega within eight, 63-55.
 
In the fourth quarter, Jasmine Lee-Stackhouse pulled the Tornados within six points, 68-62. Lexxus Graham scored two of her four points and Stewart followed with a basket off a turnover to push the Lady Tigers lead back to 10, 72-62. CU kept the lead above seven points the rest of the way.
 
To follow the Lady Tigers throughout the NAIA Tournament, check out the tournament page HERE.