COLUMBIA, Ky.- The #3 Lady Tigers took the road to battle the (RV) Shawnee State University Bears on Saturday. Capitalizing off short-range shots, with nearly double the points in the paint, as well as Shawnee State's turnovers, Campbellsville took the victory, 74-62.
The Bears were first on the scoreboard with a layup in the opening seconds of the game. Lauren Lee quickly retaliated with a layup of her own, putting the Lady Tigers on the scoreboard in the following minutes. Tyra Flowers and Bree Gowdy's steals disrupted Shawnee State's early advantage. Campbellsville continued to capitalize off the Bears turnovers, swiftly clawing their way up the advantage with avid passes and rebounds leading them to score. Shawnee State arduously attempted to retaliate, but they were unable to score at the opportunity. At the end of the first quarter, the Lady Tigers led 22-9.
Gowdy opened the second quarter with a three-pointer assisted by Lee. Lee did not hesitate to follow with a jumper. The Bears struggled to capitalize off their possessions, and Flowers continued to open the gap on the scoreboard returning dominance of the ball to the Lady Tigers with her defensive rebounds. Whitney Hay and Dea Bradley collected multiple layups and free throws for Campbellsville, propelling the Lady Tigers forward on the lead. Campbellsville maintained control of the game throughout the second quarter, preserving their lead at the half, 37-22.
Both teams came into the second half with intensity, elevating their defensive pressure and scoring attempts inside. Flowers' layups and free throws in the beginning of the quarter pushed the Lady Tigers lead. Shawnee State eagerly attempted to catch up, but they struggled to capitalize off their scoring opportunities. Although the Bears managed to collect a few baskets beyond the arc, their turnovers and missed shots in the paint hindered their momentum. Bradley and Lee's consistent buckets extended Campbellsville's advantage, as their fellow Lady Tigers collected steals and offensive rebounds to ensure their control on the court. Going into the fourth quarter, Campbellsville preserved their upper hand, 74-62.
Shawnee State came into the final quarter elevating their defensive efforts to prevent the Lady Tigers from climbing up too high on the lead. However, Campbellsville's avid rebounding and steals were far too strong for the Bears to stop. Hay's defensive strikes against Shawnee State counteracted their efforts to hinder the Lady Tigers' performance on the court and Lee's consistent scoring continued to widen the Bears deficit on the scoreboard. Much to Shawnee State's demise, Campbellsville opportunities at the charity stripe only strengthened their advantage. At the end of the contest, the Lady Tigers took the win, 74-62.
The Lady Tigers will be back in action traveling to Chandler, Arizona on Wednesday, December 18th to battle the (RV) Montana Tech Diggers on the first day of the Cactus Classic beginning at 4 p.m. ET.
- Campbellsville surpassed Shawnee States in multiple statistical aspects of the game: free-throw percentage (79.4%-68.8%), points off turnovers (29-13), steals (15-10), and points in the paint (32-18).
- Four Lady Tigers reached double digits throughout today's contest: Lee with 17 points, Flowers with 13, and Hay and Bradley with 11 each.
- Campbellsville's history against Shawnee State stretches back to 1990; today's win marked the Lady Tigers sixth consecutive win against the Bears, not having lost a game since the 2020 season, which went into double overtime with both teams with triple digits on the scoreboard (101-103).
