COLUMBIA, Ky. – The #4 Campbellsville University Lady Tigers traveled down Highway 55 on Thursday night for a Top-25 Battle of Highway 55 showdown against the #24 Lindsey Wilson College Blue Raiders. Despite a 22-point performance from
Whitney Hay, the Lady Tigers could not overcome a scorching shooting night from the hosts, falling 84-69 at Biggers Sports Center.
- Whitney Hay led all scorers with 22 points on 10-of-19 shooting and joined the elite 1,000-point club with her performance.
- Three Lady Tigers scored in double figures: Hay (22), Abby Gilbert (11), and Hallie Allen (11).
- Tyra Flowers was a force on the glass, pulling down a game-high eight rebounds, including seven on the offensive end.
- Despite the loss, Campbellsville controlled the offensive boards, outrebounding Lindsey Wilson 16-9 on the offensive glass, and shot a solid 88.2% (15-of-17) from the free-throw line compared to the Blue Raiders' 78.9%.
- The defeat snaps Campbellsville's nine-year winning streak against the Blue Raiders, marking their first loss to Lindsey Wilson since 2017.
- The Lady Tigers look to bounce back on Monday, Feb. 2, traveling to Williamsburg, Ky., to face the #14 University of the Cumberlands Patriots at 5:30 p.m. ET.
The rivalry matchup began with defensive intensity, as both teams came up empty on their opening possessions. Lindsey Wilson struck first with an old-fashioned three-point play, but Campbellsville responded immediately.
Whitney Hay and
Talynne Shearer converted back-to-back layups to spark the offense, and a Shearer three-pointer gave the Lady Tigers an early edge. While the Blue Raiders struggled from the field early, they stayed in the game at the charity stripe, hitting six consecutive free throws to knot the score at 11-11. A late jumper from
Dea Bradley allowed Campbellsville to escape the first quarter with a slim 15-14 advantage.
The second quarter saw the Blue Raiders catch fire. Lindsey Wilson opened the frame hitting their shots, but Shearer interrupted their rhythm with a steal that led to a transition layup for Hay.
Hallie Allen briefly tied the game at 23-23 with consecutive three-pointers, but the Blue Raiders responded with a barrage of their own from deep.
Abby Gilbert provided a spark off the bench, converting a layup and the ensuing free throw to keep the Lady Tigers within striking distance. However, Lindsey Wilson shot a blistering 81.8% in the quarter to take a 39-30 lead into the halftime break.
The Blue Raiders extended their lead to 15 points early in the third quarter, putting the Lady Tigers in a difficult hole. Despite the deficit, Campbellsville continued to fight on the glass, with Flowers and Gilbert creating second-chance opportunities. Hay remained the offensive anchor, scoring 12 points in the period alone to try and chip away at the lead. However, the Blue Raiders matched Campbellsville basket for basket, carrying a 64-50 advantage into the final period.
In the fourth quarter, Hay reached the 20-point milestone with a layup, but Lindsey Wilson's Amelia Hodges answered with key buckets to maintain the double-digit cushion. Allen connected on her third triple of the night off an assist from
Lainey Johnson to cut into the lead, and
Ella House added five points down the stretch. However, the deficit proved too large to overcome as the clock expired on the 84-69 defeat.
