CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. – In a pulse-pounding Mid-South Conference opener featuring nine lead changes and eight ties, the Campbellsville University men's basketball team suffered a heartbreaking defeat to Lindsey Wilson College, 76-74, at the Powell Athletic Center on Thursday night.
- Taveon Smith exploded off the bench and led the Tigers, scoring a season-high 22 points while shooting an efficient 6-of-10 from the field and 7-of-8 from the charity stripe.
- Javaughn Smith was a perimeter threat all night, draining four three-pointers en route to 15 points.
- Jay Milburn nearly posted a double-double, tallying 12 points and grabbing a team-high eight rebounds, including a clutch game-tying three-pointer with five seconds remaining.
- Dalton Kramer rounded out the double-digit scorers with 12 points while adding three rebounds and two assists.
- The Tigers shot 40.0% from three-point range (10-of-25) and claimed the battle of the benches by outscoring the Lindsey Wilson reserves 30-25.
- Campbellsville drops to 14-3 on the season and opens Mid-South Conference play at 0-1.
- The Tigers (14-3, 0-1 MSC) will look to bounce back on Saturday, January 10, when they continue Mid-South Conference play against the University of the Cumberlands. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. ET.
The game opened with high energy as Lindsey Wilson struck first, but
Javaughn Smith quickly answered with a three-pointer to tie the game at 3-3. Both teams traded baskets as neither could gain an early advantage.
Dalton Kramer and Tyshay Epps sparked the offense, while the Campbellsville bench seized momentum.
Taveon Smith entered and immediately impacted the game, sinking free throws and drilling a three-pointer to fuel the Tigers' surge.
A layup by
Parker Jones and a
Taveon Smith three-pointer handed Campbellsville a 26-24 advantage midway through the half. The Tigers finished the period strong, riding a balanced attack to secure a 39-34 lead at halftime. Campbellsville shot 44.0% from the field in the opening 20 minutes and forced seven turnovers.
The second half saw the intensity ramp up. Lindsey Wilson chipped away at the lead, eventually reclaiming the advantage on a three-pointer by Julian Cunningham. The Tigers found themselves trailing 61-54 with under ten minutes to play, but refused to fold.
Jay Milburn and
Javaughn Smith hit critical shots to keep Campbellsville within striking distance.
Down the stretch,
Taveon Smith continued his offensive tear, converting a layup to cut the deficit to 74-71 with 42 seconds remaining. After a defensive stop and a missed free throw by the Blue Raiders, the Tigers had life. With five seconds remaining,
Dalton Kramer located Milburn at the top of the key. The senior forward drilled a game-tying three-pointer to knot the score at 74-74, sending the Powell Athletic Center crowd into a frenzy.
However, Lindsey Wilson responded immediately. On the ensuing inbounds play, the Blue Raiders executed a full-court sequence that found Kenyata Carbon, who finished with a game-high 32 points, driving to the rim. Carbon finished the layup just before time expired to give the visitors the 76-74 victory.
