RIO GRANDE, Ohio – The Campbellsville University Men's Basketball team kept its perfect record intact on Friday afternoon, relying on defensive pressure and clutch free-throw shooting to defeat WVU Tech, 67-61, in the opening game of the Bevo Francis Classic hosted by the University of Rio Grande.
- Eli Brooks led the Tigers with a team-high 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting and pulled down a team-high eight rebounds.
- Graduate student Marcellus Vail provided a massive spark off the bench, scoring 16 points and going 5-of-7 from the field.
- Dalton Kramer was perfect from the charity stripe, hitting 9-of-9 free throws, while also swiping a game-high four steals.
- The Tigers won the turnover battle significantly, committing only seven turnovers while forcing WVU Tech into 14, resulting in a 12-6 advantage in points off turnovers.
- Campbellsville's bench outscored the Golden Bears' reserves 22-11.
- The Tigers return to action on Saturday, November 22nd, to face the host University of Rio Grande RedStorm at 5 p.m. ET.
The Tigers opened the game with energy as Eli Brooks threw down a dunk in the opening minute. The first half was a back-and-forth affair, with the game tied at 11-11 following a three-pointer by WVU Tech's Liam Craven. Campbellsville responded with a perimeter attack, as Brooks and Javaughn Smith drained back-to-back three-pointers to push the lead to 17-11.
While the Golden Bears fought back to cut the deficit to one point multiple times, the Tigers' bench unit, led by
Marcellus Vail and
Taveon Smith, provided crucial minutes.
take a 36-30 advantage into the locker roomCampbellsvilleVail scored on consecutive possessions late in the half to help .
lead to a single point, 36-35, just two minutes into the second halfCampbellsvilleWVU Tech came out of the break aggressive, utilizing a 5-0 run to cut the .
The Tigers responded when Javaughn Smith connected from deep, but the Golden Bears refused to go away, eventually tying the game at 41-41 with 16:05 remaining.
In a game that featured six ties and four lead changes, the Tigers' defense stepped up down the stretch.
Dalton Kramer was instrumental on both ends of the floor, recording key steals and converting a layup to give the Tigers a 58-54 lead with 4:09 to play.
Leading 60-56 with under four minutes to go, Eli Brooks converted a layup off an assist from Jay Milburn to provide breathing room.
While the Tigers struggled from the floor in the second half, shooting just 31.8%, they sealed the game at the free-throw line.
Kramer was icy in the final minute, hitting four consecutive free throws, and Vail added another late to secure the 67-61 victory.
