CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. – The #1 seed Campbellsville University Lady Tigers faced the #9 seed Rust College Lady Bearcats in the Second Round of the NAIA Championship Tournament Wednesday night. The Lady Tigers took the win from the Lady Bearcats, moving to the Round of 16, 80-65.
The Rust College's Lady Bearcats are part of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference. They have gone 23-5 this season (12-2 in conference) with averages of 38.9% from the field, 27.4% from three, and 69.5% at the free-throw line. Wednesday's Second Round will be their third appearance in the NAIA Championship in the past four seasons.
In the starting minutes of the first quarter, neither team landed a single basket until Courtney Pritchett made a jump shot. Shortly after, Maddy Boyle landed a three-point jumper and then two layups assisted by Bailey Pedigo and Lauren Lee, respectively, bringing the Lady Tigers ahead by nine with no points from the Lady Bearcats. With less than five minutes on the clock, Rust College got on the scoreboard, followed shortly after by a layup from Kayla Luebbe in response. Pritchett scored another three-point jump shot assisted by Lee. The Lady Bearcats only scored three more points in the remaining time of the first period. Elizabeth Bertram and Pritchett both sank threes assisted by Pedigo, closing off the first quarter with the Lady Tigers in the lead, 20-6.
The Lady Bearcats struck first in the second quarter. In the next few minutes, Kaitlynn Wilks followed with a layup and then Lee stood at the charity stripe, going two for two. Pritchett landed a jump shot that widened Campbellsville's lead to 18 points over Rust. The Lady Bearcats wouldn't sit idly by though, and mounted an agressive press that shrank their deficit. Still, the Lady Tigers finished the first half ahead of the Lady Bearcats 34-26.
Rust made the first basket of the second half, directly followed by two layups from Lee. The Lady Bearcats came within four of the Lady Tigers, the closest they had come to Campbellsville in the entire game. In the next few minutes, Wilks and Lee landed baskets assisted by Pritchett, continuing to widen Campbellsville's lead. Boyle stood at the charity stripe going one for two, and only seconds after landing back-to-back three-point jumpers. At the end of the third quarter, the Lady Tigers held the advantage 60-48.
Boyle went two for two at the charity stripe to start the final period. In the following minutes, Wilks landed back-to-back layups assisted by Pritchett and Maddie Nalley. The Lady Tigers' strong defense did not allow the Lady Bearcats to come within single digits on the scoreboard. Bertram came off the bench with a layup launching the Lady Tigers further up the scoreboard. At the end of the fourth quarter, the Lady Tigers held a lead of 15 points, taking the win over the Lady Bearcats 80-65.
By the end of the game, the Lady Tigers finished with 26-of-43 from the field (60.5%) and 6-of-12 from the three-point line (50%), while the Lady Bearcats finished with 24-of-61 from the field (39.3%) and 5-of-21 from the three-point line (23.8%). Campbellsville had four players in double-digit points, with Lee with 20 points, Boyle with 19 points, Wilks with 18 points, and Pritchett with 10 points. Lee also had team-highs in assists (ten), rebounds (seven), and steals (five).
The Lady Tigers will be back in action Monday March 13th in the NAIA Tournament Round of 16 in Sioux City, Iowa facing off against the #4 seed Rio Grande Red Storm. Their game is set to begin at 7 p.m. ET.
