WILBERFORCE, Ohio. – The Tigers traveled to face Wilberforce University Thursday night. The Tigers dominated in the paint, leading Campbellsville to an 81-72 win.
The game started with
Keaston Brown making the first basket. The Tigers then put together an 11-2 run. Midway through the first half, the Tigers shot 48% from the field, totaled eight assists, and had 18 rebounds. Campbellsville's defense left the Bulldogs shooting only 25% in field goals. Wilberforce made a bit of a run capitalizing on the Tigers' turnovers. The Bulldogs battled back and took their first lead with three minutes left in the first half.
Jace Wallace brought the Tigers back in front, going two for two at the free throw line, but Wilberforce answered with back-to-back buckets. Campbellsville went into halftime trailing 33-31.
At halftime, the Tigers kept their field goal percentage at 48. The team was outrebounding the Bulldogs 22-17. Campbellsville put together 13 assists compared to the four from Wilberforce. What had the Bulldogs ahead, though, was their turnover advantage. The Tigers couldn't hold on to the ball, coughing it up 11 times.
Malik Muhammad led the team with nine points.
Zach Travis and Wallace followed with four each.
Brown made a three starting in the second half, and the Tigers were up one. Wilberforce answered with three of their own and another bucket. Both teams continued to trade baskets back and forth as the score remained tied for multiple possessions. Campbellsville found a spark on offense and went on a 7-0 run. With ten minutes left, the Tigers found themselves with a ten-point lead. However, the Bulldogs didn't let up in their defensive pressure and chipped away at the Campbellsville lead. The Tigers answered with some big buckets and led by ten once again. In the game's final minutes, the Tigers made some defensive stops, continued to make shots, and found themselves at the charity stripe, leading them to the win.
The Tigers had 46 of their 81 points come from the paint. They totaled 37 rebounds and 27 assists. Campbellsville was successful in transition as they scored 18 fast break points compared to the eight from Wilberforce. The Tigers improved at the stripe shooting 59% at the free throw line. Muhammad led the team with 28 points which set his new career high with Campbellsville. Brown followed him with 17 and
Javaughn Smith with 11.
The Tigers will be back in action Saturday, January 28th, as they go up against #22 Thomas Moore. The game starts at 3 p.m. ET in the Powell Athletic Center.
