MCKENZIE, Tenn.- The #3 Lady Tigers took the road to battle the #7 Bethel University Lady Wildcats on Saturday. The Lady Tigers took the victory, extending their season record to the best in program history, an undefeated 19-0, defeating the Lady Wildcats, 87-72.
From the early moments of the first quarter, Campbellsville showed a dominant performance against Bethel. The Lady Tigers capitalized off the Lady Wildcats' early turnovers, establishing control. Lauren Lee and Dea Bradley lead Campbellsville's offense, with Lee scoring a crucial three-pointer to establish her dominance from beyond the arc. The Lady Tigers' pressure continued to force multiple turnovers from Bethel, disrupting the Lady Wildcats' pace. Although Bethel boosted their efforts in the paint, getting rebound after rebound, the Lady Wildcats struggled in their attempts to score, hindering their ability to close the gap as Campbellsville continued to claw their way up the lead. The Lady Tigers led at the end of the first quarter, 28-20.
The action on the court only increased as the second quarter started. Campbellsville maintained an edge, thanks to their defensive presence and timely scoring opportunities, but Bethel did not falter to demonstrate resilience and retaliate. Whitney Hay's offensive strikes in the paint extended the Lady Tigers' lead as she reached double digits. The Lady Wildcats' aggressive defense was increasingly limited by their foul-heavy play, bringing Campbellsville to the charity stripe to rack up more points in their favor. Despite Bethel's active defense, Lee avidly performed under pressure, assisting Tyra Flowers for back-to-back layups. The Lady Wildcats' attempts to decrease their deficit on the scoreboard were cut short by their inconsistent shooting, as Campbellsville closed to the half still ahead, 48-40.
Hallie Allen came off the bench scoring a layup assisted by Lee. Bethel quickly responded with a jumper, narrowing the margin in the opening minutes of the third quarter. Hay added a layup shortly after, and Bradley collected a steal off a Lady Wildcat turnover to convert for a three-point bucket. Both teams exchanged missed baskets until Hay secured another offensive rebound and scored in the paint to maintain the Lady Tigers' lead. As the contest saw traded turnovers and missed shots from both teams, Campbellsville's defense forced Bethel into multiple missed opportunities to gain control over the ball. Going into the final quarter, the Lady Wildcats came within three points from the Lady Tigers' advantage, 65-62.
As the fourth quarter unfolded, Hay, Lee, and Talynne Shearer increased Campbellsville's lead by eight points, while Bethel only managed to score once in the opening seconds of the final ten minutes of play. The Lady Tigers' defensive rebounds continued to keep the Lady Wildcats' at bay as they struggled offensively with multiple missed jumpers. Campbellsville's momentum bolstered as Bethel's turnovers resulted in key steals for the Lady Tigers to connect in the paint. Although the Lady Wildcats fought valiantly in attempts to catch up, it was not enough to surpass Campbellsville's team play. At the end of the contest, the Lady Tigers secured the victory, 87-72.
The Lady Tigers will be back in action on Thursday, January 30th, when they host the #8 Georgetown College Tigers. The game will begin at 5:30 p.m. ET.
- Campbellsville outperformed Bethel in most statistical categories of the game, most significantly: free-throw percentage (91.7%-75.0%), bench points (32-8), points off turnovers (23-9), and second chance points (14-9).
- Four Lady Tigers reached double digits throughout today's game: Hay with 24 points, Lee with 20, Shearer with 14, and Bradley with 11. Additionally, Lee led with ten assists and four steals, Hay with eight rebounds and nine field goals, and Bradley with three three-pointers.
- Campbellsville's history against Bethel extends back to 2007; after today's game, the Lady Tigers have collected 19 wins against the Lady Wildcats and only three losses.
- Today's victory extends Campbellsville's season record to 19-0, the best start in program history.
