HENDERSON, Tenn. – The Tigers faced #8 Freed-Hardeman University on Saturday afternoon. The Tigers couldn't keep up with the Lions, 77-55.
The Tigers won the tip, but the Lions got the game's first bucket.
Jordan Graham got the initial two points for Campbellsville at the free-throw line. The Tigers saw a five-minute scoring drought after those free throws as FHU went on a 10-0 run to make the score 13-2 in the first six minutes of the game.
Zach Travis ended the Tiger scoring drought with a three-pointer. With less than 10 minutes remaining in the first half, Travis hit another three, and a few possessions later, Graham found himself back on the charity stripe, making two more free throws. The Tigers still trailed 31-10 at the five-minute mark and found themselves in another scoring drought. The drought lasted almost three minutes until
Keaston Brown made a layup and his first two points of the game.
Jace Wallace scored his first two points late in the first quarter. To wrap up the first quarter,
Jay Milburn and
Chandler Clements both put some points up, but the Lions scored a few more, and the Tigers went into halftime trailing the Lions 42-19.
The Tigers shot 27% in field goals in the first half compared to FHU's 55%. Campbellsville also had 11 turnovers against the five that the Lions had. The Tigers struggled behind the arc; they shot 18%, and the Lions shot 50%. Travis led the Tigers at the half with six points, and Graham followed with four points and two rebounds. Milburn had three points and four rebounds; Wallace, Brown, and Clements each had two points.
The second half of the game started quietly with two minutes of no made baskets. Brown broke the silence with a three, which gave the Tigers a little offensive spark.
Malik Muhammad found himself on the free throw line in back-to-back possessions and made all four shots. The Tigers slowly cut into the Lion lead with a three by Wallace and trailed 50-31. At the 11-minute mark of the game, both teams saw no field goals for two and a half minutes, and the score sat at 56-34. Travis made another three as Wallace and Clements made some layups to help out the Tigers. Graham then found himself on the free throw line again after an and-one and made the free throw. With seven minutes left in the game, the Tigers trailed by 18. The game ended with each team making a few more baskets, and the Tigers fell to the Lions by double-digits.
Campbellsville shot 35% on their field goals compared to Freed-Hardeman's 50%. Both teams struggled from behind the arc, and the Tigers shot 28%. The Lions outrebounded the Tigers by one, and Campbellsville had only three more turnovers than FHU. The Tigers were led in scoring by Travis, who had 12 points and two rebounds. Wallace followed him with 11 points and nine rebounds. Behind him, Brown and Clements each had eight points.
The Tigers will be back in action Thursday, January 19th, in the Powell Athletic Center. They will face #20 Cumberland University with tip-off at 7:30 p.m. ET.
