COLUMBIA, Ky. – The Campbellsville University men's basketball team traveled to Biggers Sports Center on Thursday night for a Mid-South Conference battle against Lindsey Wilson College. Despite controlling the offensive glass and placing three players in double figures, a cold-shooting stretch to open the second half proved too costly as the Tigers fell to the Blue Raiders, 83-68.
- Eli Brooks led the Tigers' offensive effort off the bench, scoring a team-high 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting and grabbing six rebounds.
- Ra Briggs narrowly missed a double-double, finishing with 12 points and a team-high nine rebounds, including three on the offensive end.
- Javaughn Smith added 11 points, connecting on four three-pointers, while Dalton Kramer filled the stat sheet with six points, four rebounds, and a game-high three steals.
- The Tigers capitalized on second-chance opportunities, more than doubling the Blue Raiders in offensive rebounds (9-4).
- Campbellsville shot 44.8% from the field but struggled at the free-throw line, converting just 35.7% (5-of-14) of their attempts.
- The Tigers (16-5, 1-4 MSC) will return to action on Monday, Feb. 2, traveling to face the No. 6 University of the Cumberlands Patriots at 7:30 p.m. ET.
The Tigers opened the game with energy as
TyShay Epps scored the first bucket of the night on a driving layup. After Lindsey Wilson responded,
Ra Briggs sparked the offense with a three-pointer and a thunderous dunk to give Campbellsville an early 7-2 advantage.
Javaughn Smith and Epps continued to stretch the floor with perimeter shooting, keeping the Tigers ahead in the early stages.
As the first half progressed, the Blue Raiders began to find their rhythm, briefly stealing the lead. However,
Marcellus Vail provided a lift off the bench, scoring five quick points including a three-pointer to reclaim the lead for Campbellsville, 22-20. The teams traded baskets down the stretch, with
Eli Brooks converting key attempts in the paint. Despite shooting 64.3% in the first half, Lindsey Wilson held a narrow 43-36 lead at the break.
The second half began with a decisive shift in momentum. The Blue Raiders opened the period with strong defensive intensity, holding Campbellsville without a field goal for the first seven minutes. Lindsey Wilson used a 15-5 run, highlighted by three-pointers from Kenyata Carbon and Mihail Gavazov, to extend their advantage to 58-41.
Vail finally broke the Tigers' drought with a three-pointer at the 13:00 mark. Moments later,
Jay Milburn connected on his first points of the game—a triple from the wing—to cut the deficit to 60-44. Campbellsville's defense tightened midway through the half, allowing only one basket in a three-minute span, but struggles at the free-throw line prevented the Tigers from making a significant dent in the lead.
With under seven minutes to play,
Dalton Kramer came up with a defensive gem, forcing a turnover for his third steal of the night and feeding Briggs for a transition dunk to make it 71-55. The Tigers mounted a late 8-0 run, fueled by layups from Brooks and
Parker Jones, but the deficit proved too large to overcome as the Blue Raiders secured the 83-68 victory.
