COLUMBIA, Ky. – The #3 Campbellsville University Lady Tigers used a dominant second-half defensive performance to turn a seven-point halftime lead into an 81-49 rout of the University of Tennessee Southern Firehawks on Friday. In their first game of the U.C. Bank Classic, the Lady Tigers forced 34 turnovers and held the Firehawks to just 15 second-half points to remain undefeated at 7-0.
- Four Lady Tigers scored in double figures, led by sophomore Dea Bradley, who poured in a game-high 23 points on 10-of-18 shooting.
- Talynne Shearer (12 points, eight rebounds), Whitney Hay (12 points, eight rebounds), and Tyra Flowers (10 points, nine rebounds) all flirted with double-doubles.
- The Lady Tiger defense was the story, forcing an astounding 34 turnovers and collecting 21 steals.
- Hallie Allen led the defensive charge with a career-high six steals 9, while Flowers and Hay added four steals apiece.
- After leading by seven (41-34) at halftime, Campbellsville's defense held the Firehawks to a combined 15 points in the third and fourth quarters, winning the second half 40-15.
- The Lady Tigers (7-0) return to the court at Biggers Sports Center tomorrow for day two of the U.C. Bank Classic, facing Reinhardt University.
The first quarter was a tight, back-and-forth affair as both teams traded baskets.
Talynne Shearer and
Whitney Hay established an early presence in the paint, but the Firehawks offense, led by Ashley Dickey, kept pace. Tennessee Southern tied the game at 16-16 before a last-second free throw from Hay gave the Lady Tigers a narrow 18-16 lead after one.
The second quarter was just as contentious, featuring seven ties and four lead changes. Tennessee Southern took its first and only lead of the game at 21-20 with 7:54 on the clock.
Dea Bradley then caught fire, erupting for 14 of her 23 points in the quarter to counter every Firehawk basket. Despite Bradley's heroics, UTS tied the game again at 34-34, but Campbellsville closed the period on a 7-0 run, capped by a Bradley layup just before the buzzer to take a 41-34 advantage into halftime.
Campbellsville emerged from the locker room with a suffocating defensive intensity that won the game. The Lady Tigers opened the third quarter on a 6-0 run, featuring layups from
Tyra Flowers and Hay, to stretch the lead to 13. The defense held the Firehawks to just 2-of-8 shooting in the period and forced 10 turnovers. Flowers and Bradley combined for 15 points in the quarter, and a pair of free throws from Flowers in the final seconds pushed the lead to 60-43.
The final period was all Campbellsville, as the defense held the Firehawks to just 13.3% shooting (2-of-15) and six total points. The bench provided the final offensive spark, as
Lainey Johnson came in to drain two three-pointers. A three from
Hallie Allen extended the lead to 26, and Johnson's second three pushed it past.
Kinsley Molden hit two late free throws to provide the final 81-49 margin, sealing the Lady Tigers' seventh straight victory.
