HENDERSON, Tenn. — Dealing with mounting injuries, the Tigers took their team to visit the #8 Freed-Hardeman Lions Saturday. Although the Tigers rebounded with a much better offense ilater in the game, nearly scoring double the points compared to the first half, the Lions took the win while capitalizing on Campbellsville turnovers, 106-84.
Both teams scored within the opening five seconds of the first half. Freed-Hardeman held onto the lead from the early minutes of the half, but Campbellsville only stayed a few points behind. The Lions' precision from beyond the arc, landing back-to-back threes, struck the Tigers' deficit, widening their defense on the scoreboard. Cobe Penny collected several crucial points for Campbellsville from the free-throw line. However, although the two teams were turning the ball over at a similar rate, the Lions were thriving on the fast break opportunities while the Tigers struggled to covert their defensive pressure into offense. With only five minutes left on the clock, Freed-Hardeman expanded their upper-hand to a 20-point lead over the Tigers. Cameron Willis came off the bench with an avid three aided by Noah Gordon's first assist of the game. Campbellsville fought hard down the court to catch-up with the Lions' advantage, but Freed-Hardeman's tip-ins and dunks continued to amplify their deficit. As the first quarter came to a close, the Lions' defense deterred every attempted advance from the Tigers, going into the second half with Campbellsville trailing Freed-Hardeman, 57-29.
The Lions sank a three-point bucket in the opening seconds of the second half, growing their advantage to 30 points over the Tigers. Despite Freed-Hardeman's relentless offense, Campbellsville did not waver, refusing to buckle to the Lions. Chandler Clements and Darius Harding retaliated with nimble buckets for Campbellsville, boosting their offensive strikes to catch up, followed by Penny landing back-to-back baskets. With each turnover by both teams, the action on the hardwood only strengthened, resulting in more baskets with every minute that passed on the clock. Despite the Tigers' strong attempts to claw up to the lead (and a big jump in field goal percentage between halves: 29.63% to 65.38%) , Campbellsville lost to Freed-Hardeman, 106-84.
Four Tigers reached double digits in the contest: Harding with 23 points, Clements and Penny with 15 each, and Gordon with 13. The Lions were able to get 35 points off turnovers compared to the Tigers' 14, despite the closeness in turnovers (12 to 16, respectively).
The Tigers will be back in action, hosting the Georgetown College Tigers on Thursday, February 22nd beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET.
