CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. – Campbellsville University placed six players in double figures, controlled the paint, and never trailed Friday as the Tigers defeated Goshen College 89-69 in the opening game of the Lou Cunningham Classic at Powell Athletic Center.
- Eli Brooks led Campbellsville with 21 points on 7-of-9 shooting, grabbed six rebounds, and made seven of nine free throws. He scored 13 points before halftime to help the Tigers establish an 18-point advantage.
- Tyran Cook recorded a triple-double with 10 points and a game-high 12 rebounds while distributing 10 assists against one turnover. Seven of his assists came during Campbellsville's 48-point first half.
- Dalton Kramer added 15 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and two steals, shooting 6-of-9 from the field and 2-of-4 from beyond the arc. Cannon Young supplied 14 points and seven rebounds off the bench.
- Campbellsville shot 53% from the floor and generated 50 points in the paint, compared with 30 for Goshen. The Tigers also finished with 23 assists on 35 made field goals.
- The Tigers outrebounded the Maple Leafs 45-26, including a 16-6 advantage on the offensive glass. That differential helped Campbellsville produce a 14-6 edge in second-chance points.
- Campbellsville committed eight turnovers while forcing 14, turning those extra possessions into an 18-7 advantage in points off turnovers. Eight Tigers recorded at least one steal.
- The Tigers led for the entire game and expanded their advantage to as many as 25 points. Campbellsville improved to 3-1 with the victory.
Cook opened the scoring with a jumper before Brooks converted a layup and free throw to give Campbellsville an early 5-0 lead. Goshen pulled within two, but
Hunter Duncan scored following a steal, and Brooks made two free throws after an
Aeramiah Binford takeaway to extend the margin to 9-3.
The Maple Leafs cut the deficit to 13-9 before Young provided an immediate lift off the bench. He followed an offensive rebound with a putback, then connected from beyond the arc to push the lead to 18-12.
Taveon Smith added five consecutive Campbellsville points, including a 3-pointer, as the Tigers widened the advantage to 23-15.
Campbellsville continued to create separation through its interior attack and second-chance opportunities. Binford converted a putback, Brooks scored consecutive baskets at the rim, and Duncan added a layup to make it 31-19 with 6:12 remaining in the half.
Kramer knocked down two 3-pointers over the final five minutes, while Brooks added a dunk and Young scored inside. Smith beat the halftime horn with a 3-pointer off Cook's seventh assist, sending the Tigers into the locker room with a 48-30 lead. Campbellsville shot 54.3% in the opening half and held a 29-10 rebounding advantage.
Binford opened the second half with a dunk before Kramer scored on consecutive possessions. Goshen trimmed the margin to 14 at 62-48, but Young answered with a 3-pointer, and Binford made a free throw following a steal to restore an 18-point cushion.
The Maple Leafs again pulled within 15 midway through the half before Young and Brooks scored consecutive layups. Cook followed with a dunk and then assisted Kramer on a jumper, extending Campbellsville's advantage to 78-60 with 6:32 remaining.
Campbellsville put the game away with an 11-1 run. Cook and Kramer supplied two baskets apiece, Brooks finished a dunk off Kramer's fourth assist, and
Hayden Blakeman made two free throws to give the Tigers their largest lead, 89-64, with two minutes remaining. Goshen scored the final five points, but Campbellsville closed out the 20-point victory.
