CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. – The Campbellsville University men's basketball team saw a double-digit second-half lead slip away on Thursday night, falling to Mid-South Conference foe Bethel University (Tenn.), 78-75, inside the Powell Athletic Center.
- Dalton Kramer paced the Tigers with a game-high 22 points and completed a double-double with 10 rebounds (all defensive), shooting 8-of-14 from the floor.
- Ra Briggs neared a double-double of his own, finishing with 12 points and nine rebounds, while Marcellus Vail added 10 points and went a perfect 6-for-6 from the free-throw line off the bench.
- The Tigers built a 10-point lead, 71-61, with 5:41 remaining in the game but were outscored 17-4 down the stretch.
- Bethel dominated the interior, outscoring Campbellsville 48-26 in the paint and edging the Tigers in total rebounds, 35-29.
- Campbellsville shot 44.1% from the field and 37.5% from three-point range, while Bethel finished at 45.6% shooting.
- With the loss, Campbellsville falls to 14-4 overall and 0-2 in Mid-South Conference play.
- The Tigers will look to snap their two-game skid when they continue Mid-South Conference play on Saturday, Jan. 17, traveling to face Freed-Hardeman University. Tip-off is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. ET.
The game opened as a defensive struggle, with
Jay Milburn providing the early offense for the Tigers with back-to-back layups to knot the score at 4-4. Campbellsville found its rhythm from deep midway through the first half, as
Ra Briggs connected on a three-pointer to give the Tigers a 7-2 lead. The teams traded blows for the remainder of the half, with Bethel tying the game at 21-21 before
Marcellus Vail and
Dalton Kramer helped the Tigers surge ahead. Kramer's three-pointer with under a minute left sent Campbellsville into the locker room with a 38-34 halftime advantage.
Bethel (16-3, 2-1 MSC) came out of the break aggressive, erasing the deficit quickly to tie the game at 38-38 on a Chauncey Hughes III triple. The Tigers responded with a run of their own, fueled by Tyshay Epps and Kramer. An Epps three-pointer pushed the lead to 60-52, and when
Eli Brooks drained a three from the wing at the 5:41 mark, Campbellsville held its largest lead of the night at 71-61.
However, the Wildcats refused to go away. Capitalizing on Tiger turnovers and attacking the rim, Bethel mounted a furious 10-0 run to tie the game. Jackson Hayes and Ethan Turner converted key layups in the paint to pull the visitors even.
The final minutes were a tense back-and-forth affair. A Kramer free throw gave the Tigers a slim 74-72 lead, but Hayes answered with a jumper to tie it at 74-74 with 1:19 to play. After
Eli Brooks split a pair of free throws to put CU up 75-74, Hayes drew a foul on the other end and sank both free throws to give Bethel a 76-75 lead with 30 seconds remaining.
On the ensuing possession, the Tigers looked for the win, but a three-point attempt by Briggs missed the mark. Hayes added two more free throws to extend the lead to three. A final desperation attempt by the Tigers fell short, sealing the 78-75 defeat.
