CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. – The Campbellsville University men's basketball team returned to its winning ways in emphatic fashion on Saturday afternoon, using a dominant defensive effort, highlighted by a staggering 12 blocked shots, to rout Mount Vernon Nazarene University (Ohio), 86-63, inside the Powell Athletic Center.
- Jay Milburn and Dalton Kramer co-led the Tigers in scoring with 17 points apiece. Milburn was highly efficient, shooting 8-of-10 from the floor, while Kramer added seven rebounds to his stat line.
- The Tigers hosted a block party in the paint, rejecting 12 shots on the afternoon. Ra Briggs led the defensive charge with a career-high six blocks, while Parker Jones swatted four shots of his own.
- Briggs nearly secured a double-double off the bench, pulling down a team-high nine rebounds to go with his 11 points and defensive stops.
- Campbellsville's offense was firing on all cylinders, shooting 53.1% (34-of-64) from the field and 40.0% (12-of-30) from three-point range.
- Javaughn Smith facilitated the offense beautifully, dishing out a game-high seven assists without committing a single turnover.
- The Tigers held the Cougars to just 31.1% shooting from the field and 20.0% from deep.
- With the win, Campbellsville improves to 12-1 on the season, bouncing back strong from their first loss earlier in the week.
- Campbellsville will hit the road to face NCAA Division I foe Western Kentucky University on Monday, December 15. The exhibition will tip-off at 7:30 p.m. ET in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
The Tigers set the tone early with stifling interior defense.
Ra Briggs and
Parker Jones anchored the paint, combining for 10 of the team's 12 blocked shots, forcing the Cougars into difficult looks all afternoon. MVNU shot just 23.3% from the field in the first half as Campbellsville built an insurmountable lead.
Offensively, the Tigers found their rhythm from beyond the arc. After a tight opening five minutes,
Dalton Kramer and
TyShay Epps connected on early triples to stretch the floor. A three-pointer by
Marcellus Vail at the 7:45 mark pushed the lead to double digits at 25-12. Campbellsville closed the half on a tear, taking a commanding 49-24 lead into the break behind 55.9% shooting.
The second half saw the Tigers maintain their intensity. A layup by Jones with 16:44 remaining extended the advantage to 30 points at 57-27.
Jay Milburn was a steady force in the paint, scoring 17 points on 8-of-10 shooting, while
Javaughn Smith orchestrated the attack with seven assists.
Despite a 16-point effort from MVNU's Abib Abib, the Cougars could never cut the deficit to a threatening margin.
Benjamin Yombi and
Cannon Young added baskets late to cap off the scoring as the Tigers cruised to the 23-point win.
