CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. – The Tigers hosted the Truett McConnell University Bears on Friday for the first day of the Lou Cunningham Classic. After a hard-fought first half that saw the Tigers erase a 15-point deficit, Campbellsville held onto the lead through the second half to defeat Truett McConnell, 83-72.
- Sophomore Taveon Smith erupted for a game-high 23 points, scoring 21 of them in the second half and shooting 11-for-13 from the free-throw line.
- Four Tigers finished in double figures: Smith (23), Dalton Kramer (17), Jay Milburn (15), and Marcellus Vail (11).
- Campbellsville's bench overpowered the Bears', contributing 40 points to Truett McConnell's 29.
- The Tigers were highly efficient from deep, shooting 52.6% (10-of-19) from three-point range compared to the Bears' 37.0% (10-of-27).
- Tonight's win is Campbellsville's second consecutive victory against Truett McConnell; the teams had not played since 2015.
- The Tigers (6-0) will be back in action taking on the Brescia University Bearcats tomorrow, Saturday, November 15th, on the second day of the Lou Cunningham Classic beginning at 4 p.m. ET.
In the first half, the Bears dominated the court, using a 13-0 run to build a 15-point lead, 22-7, by the 11:42 mark. Campbellsville began to chip away at the deficit, as
Jay Milburn (11 first-half points) and
Dalton Kramer (eight first-half points) brought the offense to life.
Taveon Smith came off the bench to tie the score 28-28 with a layup at the 4:23 mark. The Tigers' bench unit took over from there.
Marcellus Vail hit a crucial three-pointer and a layup in the final minute to cap a 32-11 run, giving Campbellsville a 39-33 lead at the half.
Coming into the second half, both teams elevated their shooting, but the Tigers' offense proved too strong. After the Bears cut the lead to one,
Eli Brooks hit a three-pointer and
Taveon Smith followed with another crucial three at the 13:18 mark, extending Campbellsville's lead to double digits, 52-42.
Truett McConnell did not back down, cutting the lead to just four points (56-52) with 8:13 remaining. However, the Tigers kept true to their offense, passing up good shots for better ones closer to the basket. Despite the Bears' intentional fouling—committing 14 fouls—sending the Tigers to the charity stripe, where they shot 17-of-20 (85.0%) in the half. Smith was the primary beneficiary, hitting 11 free throws in the period. A final dunk by Milburn with 46 seconds left sealed the 83-72 victory.
