CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. – The #1 Lady Tigers took on the #16 Lourdes University Gray Wolves on Friday night for the NAIA Tournament First Round. Campbellsville strongly capitalized off Lourdes' turnovers, finding the open woman consistently and being aggressive defensively, moving onto the second round with the victory, 77-49.
In the opening minutes of the game, both teams exchanged three-pointers. The Gray Wolves took the lead in the paint, but Tyra Flowers quickly tied the score with a layup of her own. The competition on the court only increased as both teams went back-and-forth stealing the lead and tying the score. With a six-point run from Whitney Hay, Campbellsville regained the lead, opening the gap on the scoreboard. Both teams struggled to score from the field in the next few minutes of the quarter. The game saw a scoring halt until Lourdes scored a layup, and Flowers and Dea Bradley each responded with a bucket to amplify the Lady Tigers' advantage. As both teams exchanged three-point buckets, the time on the clock expired with Campbellsville leading 22-15.
Bradley and Flowers opened the second quarter with back-to-back layups. The game faced another scoring drought, as both teams' defensive efforts only strengthened and prevented buckets. Hallie Allen and Bradley's shots beyond the arc continued to propel the Lady Tigers forward, increasing the Gray Wolves' deficit on the scoreboard. Talynne Shearer and Hay kept Campbellsville's action in the paint significantly higher than Lourdes' throughout the quarter. The Lady Tigers forced the Gray Wolves into multiple turnovers, capitalizing off their errors to collect steals and cross the court to connect. At the half, Campbellsville still led 42-28.
Lourdes was first to score in the opening of the second half. Lauren Lee quickly retaliated with her first basket of the contest, followed by a successful free throw. The Gray Wolves retaliated with a jumper shortly after. Shearer counteracted Lourdes' efforts with her third layup, followed by Hay's fifth layup of the game. The tension on the court was palpable as the Gray Wolves attempted to catch up with the Lady Tigers. The teams went back and forth, exchanging twos. Lee scored her first three-point bucket of the match, putting Campbellsville 20 points ahead of Lourdes with only one minute left in the third quarter. Going into the fourth, the Lady Tigers remained ahead, 59-36.
Paige Serafini opened the final quarter with a layup, aided by Lee's eighth assist. Lee stood at the charity stripe, going two-for-two. The Gray Wolves scored their first basket of the quarter from beyond the arc, attempting to decrease their deficit in the game. With an exchange of jumpers, the intensity of the game only increased. Bradley's back-to-back layups brought Campbellsville to 70. Halfway through the fourth, Lourdes scored in the paint, collecting some points as they struggled to claw their way up to reach the Lady Tigers' upper hand. Campbellsville's action was far too intense for Lourdes to surpass, falling to the Lady Tigers 77-49.
The Lady Tigers will be back in action tomorrow, Saturday, March 15, beginning at 3 p.m. ET on the NAIA Tournament Second Round, battling the winner of the University of Mobile Rams and the Williams Baptist University Lady Eagles.
- Three Lady Tigers reached double digits throughout tonight's game: Bradley with 18 points and Hay and Lee with 12. Bradley led with eight field goals and six defensive rebounds, Allen with two three-pointers, Flowers with four offensive rebounds, Lee with eight assists, and Shearer with five steals.
- Campbellsville surpassed Lourdes in most statistical categories of the game, most significantly: free-throw percentage (85.7-50.0%), rebounds (30-24), assists (20-12), bench points (30-7), fast break points (14-2), steals (17-7), points off turnovers (37-5), and points in the paint (42-20).
- Tonight's contest was the Lady Tigers' first time battling the Gray Wolves, and the opening round was Lourdes' first-ever appearance in the NAIA National Championship.
