CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky.– The #3 Lady Tiger basketball team took on the #1 Thomas More Saints at the Donna Wise Court Saturday afternoon. Their stifling perimeter defense ensured their takedown of the top-ranked team in the country, 70-59.
The intensity of the match was exuberant from the starting minutes of play. The Saints pushed ahead for the lead, but Lauren Lee collected a basket and a foul for shots from the line. After the initial buckets, the teams traded points back and forth. Courtney Pritchett crashed the boards in three consecutive possessions to keep the Lady Tigers alive. Both teams were shooting 50% from the field goal during the first quarter. As the score stationed even at 13, Kayla Luebbe notched a pivotal layup to put Campbellsville on top.
The Lady Tigers worked against strict defenders who allowed little room for error. The Saints got ahead by three, but Elizabeth Bertram knocked down a shot from the arc to even the score. Bertram returned moments later to secure another basket from the area. Maddy Boyle followed suit with another three-pointer to earn the Lady Tigers their largest lead of five. Campbellsville had jumped ahead of the Saints with a 37.5 three-point percentage, while Thomas More averaged 33.3%. The Lady Tigers placed the Saints at a double-digit deficit as Kaitlynn Wilks collected a basket. Campbellsville solidified a 35-29 lead entering the half.
Campbellsville led the contest in field goals with 45.2% to the Saints' 40.7%. The Lady Tigers had doubled the number of rebounds the Saints had collected, with 20 to Thomas More's ten. Pritchett steered the way with ten points, while Bertram followed closely with six. Wilks amassed five rebounds, and Lee trailed with four.
The Lady Tigers had a comfortable lead to begin the quarter. However, the Saints went for a nine-point run to even the score. Lee regained the lead with another basket and a foul. Campbellsville tightened their defense, and Thomas More began to struggle with shooting. The Saints had taken seven more unsuccessful shots from the arc leading to 16.7% from the area. Sarah Sutton's three-pointer rang true, which pushed the Lady Tigers to 30.8% from deep. In the last minute of the quarter, Bertram forced her opponent into a turnover and knocked down the layup.
In the final quarter, Bertram let it fly from the three-point line to another Lady Tiger basket. Campbellsville pulled 18 bench points versus the Saints' two points from the bench. Campbellsville missed opportunities from the charity stripe that Thomas More took advantage of. As a minute remained, Campbellsville led the contest by ten. Pritchett and Lee bumped up the Lady Tigers' free-throw percentage to 64.7. Campbellsville walked away with a 70-59 win over the #1 Thomas More Saints.
Lee ended the night with 15 points, six rebounds, and six assists. Pritchett trailed closely with 14 points, six rebounds, and five assists. Wilks finished with 13 points and eight rebounds.
Next, the Lady Tigers will be taking on (RV Pikeville. That game will be February 2 and will begin at 5:30 p.m. ET.
