CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. — The #1 Lady Tigers hosted the #8 William Carey University Lady Crusaders on Saturday for the NAIA Championship second round. Campbellsville's insistence on driving into the lane and also posting up helped them collect ten times as many free-throws as William Carey, winning the game, 82-73.
The Lady Crusaders came into the game with a jumper in the opening seconds, which Courtney Pritchett quickly responded to with a bucket of her own. That would erase the only lead William Carey had on the afternoon despite the contest's closeness throughout. Bailey Pedigo and Maddy Boyle swiftly collected layup after layup, propelling the Lady Tigers' offense to greater heights. Elizabeth Bertram's steals continued to hinder William Carey's ability to retaliate. However, every time the advantage would get near double-digits, the Lady Crusaders would make a few baskets in a row and stay in the fight. At the end of the first ten minutes of play, Campbellsville led the game, 17-14.
Whitney Hay and Kayla Luebbe opened the second quarter, working together to collect bucket after bucket for the Lady Tigers in the paint. The Lady Crusaders retaliated from beyond the arc, but not enough to catch up with Campbellsville's ten-point advantage. The Lady Tigers faced multiple opportunities at the charity stripe, expanding Campbellsville's lead with their physical play. At the end of the second quarter, the Lady Tigers remained ahead, 38-30.
At the half, Campbellsville had capitalized off free-throws to sustain their advantage, going 12-of-15 compared to William Carey's 3-of-5. Both teams kept their shots mostly from short range, as the Lady Tigers collected 16 points in the paint and the Lady Crusaders not too far behind with 14.
Lauren Lee set off the second half from the charity stripe again sticking to the gameplan to assert themselves. Pritchett followed shortly after with a fierce three-point bucket aided by Kaitlynn Wilks' first assist of the contest. Both teams' layups remained a very significant strength throughout the third quarter, with both teams going back and forth, scoring from short range. The quarter came to a scoring halt, with neither team's defense allowing the other to score for minutes and multiple possessions. William Carey boosted their offense and quickly racked up enough baskets to come within three points from Campbellsville going into the final quarter, 56-53.
The Lady Crusaders tied the score with a three-point basket in the first few seconds of the fourth. They would hit four of the five threes they took in the period. Pedigo swiftly struck back with a jumper, expanding William Carey's deficit again. The Lady Crusaders attacked in the paint, but Lee and Pritchett's first three-pointers of the contest counteracted their efforts to take ahold of the game. Pedigo and Lee's assists maintained the Lady Tigers' control over the scoreboard as time wound down. The tension on the court was palpable as the last minute of the game approached. However, Campbellsville proved too strong for William Carey, taking the victory, 82-73.
At the end of the game, the Lady Tigers strongly capitalized off the Lady Crusaders' fouls, going 30-of-40 from the free-throw line, compared to their 3-of-7. Both teams collected equal assists and bench points throughout the game, a testament to the constant battle on the court. Four Lady Tigers reached double digits during today's game: Lee with 19 points, Boyle with 17, Pritchett with 12, and Pedigo with 11.
Campbellsville, on their 30-1 season (a .968 winning percentage — a program record this deep into the season), advance to the NAIA Women's Basketball Championship Tournament Final Site for the fifth straight year. They await news of their opponent.
