COLUMBIA, Ky. – The Campbellsville Tigers traveled down Highway 55 on Friday afternoon to face off against the Kentucky Christian University Knights for the first day of the Lindsey Wilson Classic. Conducting two 40-point halves and holding the lead from the 18-minute mark in the first half, the Tigers closed out day one victorious.
The Knights claimed the opening possession; however, a quick turnover gave Campbellsville their first possession, but the Knights forced a turnover for the Tigers. After grabbing an offensive rebound from his own attempt, Marcellus Vail was sent to the charity stripe, earning the game's first point. The Knights swiftly responded with a jumper, but Cobe Penny answered with a jumper of his own to regain the lead. A nine-point swing from Campbellsville pushed them to the forefront. The Tigers' defense rushed the Knights into taking quick shots and did not allow second-chance points. Tiger's Jay Milburn, James Jewell, and Cobe Penny capitalized on the Knights' missed opportunities, pushing them to a 17-point lead. Milburn finished the half at the free-throw line, earning both foul shots and giving Campbellsville a 16-point lead to end the first half, 40-24.
Much like the first half, the Tigers and Knights traded possessions but were unsuccessful. The Knights were the first to add points to the board in the second half, but Javaughn Smith ignited Campbellsville with a three-pointer. Shortly after Smith's three-pointer, Vail followed with his own, giving the Tigers their largest lead of the game at 18 points. Dalton Kramer forced a turnover and missed the opportunity on the other end, but Jewell came in and followed the miss with a flush. The Knights tried to make one last push, reaching within 12 points of Campbellsville, but could not catch up. Penny's layup in the final moments of the game gave the Tigers their largest lead of 23 points, but the Knights responded with a layup of their own, giving Campbellsville a 21-point win, 85-64.
The Tigers are back in action on Saturday, November 2nd, taking on the Virginia University of Lynchburg Dragons for their last day of the stint. The game is set to begin at 3 p.m. ET.
- Penny paced Campbellsville with 24 points, marking his second career-high; Milburn snagged 13 rebounds and two blocks, Vail, Smith, and Noah Gordon all shared three assists, and Kramer turned over the Knights four times.
- The Tigers bested Kentucky Christian in almost all categories, but the most impressive stat was Campbellsville's 48 bench points compared to the Knights' 13.
- Tonight's victory over the Knights marked the Tigers' eighth game and eighth straight win. In their last eight meetings, Campbellsville has accumulated 779 points overall, with their largest margin of victory occurring in 2017, when they defeated the Knights 122-92.
