SIOUX CITY, Iowa. – The #1 seed Campbellsville University Lady Tigers faced the #4 seed Rio Grande University RedStorm in the Round of 16 of the NAIA Championship Tournament Monday night. After challenging play from both teams, the Lady Tigers poured in threes efficiently and took the victory over the RedStorm, 96-87.
The Rio Grande University RedStorm are part of the River States Conference. They have gone 30-3 this season (16-1 in conference) and have the highest-scoring offense in the NAIA at 96.8 points per game while also snagging the most rebounds per contest with 50.5 and dishing the most assists with 22.9. The last time the Lady Tigers faced the RedStorm was in the 2013-2014 season, with Campbellsville taking the win over Rio Grande, 83-47.
The Lady Tigers scored the game's first points, with Lauren Lee at the charity stripe going two for two. Halfway through the first quarter, Campbellsville's strong defense only allowed the RedStorm to score only a few times. Maddy Boyle, Courtney Pritchett, and Lee all landed three-point jumpers, propelling Campbellsville further up the scoreboard. After a fierce steal by Boyle, Kayla Luebbe landed another bucket for the Lady Tigers. The game came to a tie with less than five seconds on the clock though. Shortly after, Lee went to the free-throw line going two for two, closing off the first quarter with Campbellsville in the lead, 21-19.
Midway through the second quarter, Rio Grande took the lead, and increased it to a 10-point advantage. The Lady Tigers quickly retaliated, with Pritchett scoring a three-point jump shot. Buckets from Kaitlynn Wilks, Pedigo, and Elizabeth Bertram brought the score closer between the two teams. Pritchett sank another three-point jumper with one minute left on the clock, but the Lady Tigers trailed at the end of the first half, 41-39.
Going into the last twenty, Pritchett led the Lady Tigers with 11 points, and Wilks right behind her with 8 points. Campbellsville shot 50% from the field and went 4-9 at the free-throw line. Rio Grande shot 51.4% from the field and went a perfect 3-3 at the free-throw line. Both teams were coughing the ball up to the other squad with consistency as each team had double-digit turnovers.
Coming into the second half, Rio Grande made the first basket before Pedigo landed a three-pointer assisted by Pritchett, tying the game. Even though the RedStorm took the lead by three points in the following minutes, Boyle followed shortly after with a three-pointer that again knotted things up. As the period continued, Campbellsville remained within one point from Rio Grande. Bertram hit a three-point jumper, breaking Rio Grande's hold on the advantage. With less than two minutes left on the clock, Bertram splashed another three-point shot, increasing the Lady Tigers' lead. Campbellsville closed the third quarter ahead, 65-64.
Separation began to show itself in the final quarter. After a bit of back-and-forth play, Boyle stood at the charity stripe and made both, bringing the Lady Tigers up by two. Even though tha was immediately counteracted by a jump shot from the RedStorm, Campbellsville was quick to bounce back with a three-pointer from Boyle. At that point, the Lady Tigers wouldn't relent as Luebbe connected on two back-to-back layups. Rio Grande couldn't convert their chances due to Campbellsville's stifling defense, going just 6-18 from the field in the fourth (33.3$). Not only that, they began to foul more often and the Lady Tigers shot 19 free throws, making 16. The RedStorm just couldn't hang around while their shooting numbers slumped and the Lady Tigers made 63.6% of their shots in the period. Campbellsville heard the final horn blow and the scoreboard held their favor, 96-87.
By the end of the game, the Lady Tigers finished with 31-of-57 from the field (54.4%) and 10-of-20 from the three-point line (50%), while the RedStorm finished with 33-of-68 from the field (48.5%) and 2-of-9 from the three-point line (22.2%). The Lady Tigers scored their most points in a contest since December 13th. Campbellsville had six players in double-digit points: Boyle with 20, recording a season-high, Pritchett with 18 points, Pedigo and Lee with 13 points, and Bertram and Luebbe with 12 points.
The Lady Tigers will be back in action Wednesday, March 15th, in the NAIA Tournament Quarterfinals in Sioux City, Iowa, facing off against the winner of Lewis-Clark State and Clarke. Their game is set to begin at 2 p.m. ET.
