BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – The second-seeded Lady Tigers are your 2022 Mid-South Conference Champions after defeating the fourth-seeded Georgetown College Tigers. McGeorge was named Mid-South Conference Outstanding Player of the Tournament averaging nearly 17 points and ten rebounds.
Courtney Pritchett was first to see the scoreboard a minute and a half into the first quarter. She followed her shot with a foul which allowed Georgetown to cancel out the lead.
Bailey Pedigo put up a quick jumper and her teammate, Pritchett, followed her by capitalizing off an
Ashlee McGeorge rebound for a shot from the arc. The opposing Tigers racked a layup and a three-pointer to tie the score at eight, but
Shyla Calbert answered with a three of her own.
Lauren Lee hit a mid-range jumper to end the quarter 20-12.
For the first five possessions of the second both teams traded baskets.
Maddy Boyle's bucket from the perimeter boosted the Lady Tigers' lead to ten. Campbellsville pressed forward to a 17-point lead with two layups from Lee and one from McGeorge also accompanied by a few more baskets. Georgetown responded with a six-point run to cut down their deficit to 11.
Campbellsville attained a 53.6 percent from the field and a 42.9 percent from the arc. In comparison, Georgetown held a 37.9 percent in field-goals and 9.1 percent from the three. The Lady Tigers accumulated 17 rebounds compared to the Tigers' 12.
Lauren Lee had collected eight points and five assists while McGeorge tallied seven points and six rebounds.
The third quarter began with a Lady Tiger turnover followed then by a Georgetown turnover. Pedigo assisted Lee for a jump-shot from the top of the key. Georgetown reigned in the Lady Tigers' advantage to five points until Calbert answered with a layup to score for the first time within the last three minutes. Although the Lady Tigers worked hard to maintain a multiple possession lead, Georgetown kept within a seven-point gap. At the buzzer,
Faith Lake mustered a bucket under the basket to end the third quarter.
In the final ten minutes, Kaitlyn Wilks went to work to propel the Lady Tigers' upper hand to nine. Boyle appeared at the charity stripe and her basket initiated an eight-point run for the Lady Tigers. Lee drove to the paint to earn herself a basket and a foul to send Campbellsville to a 16-point gain. Georgetown scratched and clawed at their deficit to bring it under double digits once again. After McGeorge fouled out, a layup from the Tigers made it a two-possession game which put Campbellsville in a nerve-wracking position as five minutes remained in regulation. The Lady Tigers led by six when the officials called an offensive foul on Wilks. As the clock dwindled to thirty seconds, Georgetown secured a layup to trail by just two points. After a turnover and steal, Georgetown drove to the basket with time ticking down. They were unable to assure the basket, however, when Pritchett had a chase-down block. On the subsequent inbounds with just a couple seconds left, Pritchett again blocked the prospective game-tying shot. As Pritchett rebounded the ball, she safeguarded the win and championship for Campbellsville, 70-68.
The Lady Tigers landed narrowly above Georgetown in field-goals (49.1% vs. 44.3%), three-point percentage (25% vs. 17.6%), and free throws (68.4% vs. 61.1%). Campbellsville finished with 36 rebounds and 25 assists total. Lee had 18 points and 13 assists tying her season-high in dishes. Wilks had 18 points as well, the most she has ever scored for the Lady Tigers. Pedigo fashioned the night with a double-double as she tallied ten rebounds and ten points. McGeorge followed her teammates with eight rebounds and seven points as well as earning Player of the Tournament.
Campbellsville will reappear in the 41st Annual NAIA Women's Basketball National Championship. The opening round is set to begin March 11th.
