GEORGETOWN, Ky. – The #5 Campbellsville University Lady Tigers hit the road to battle the (RV) Georgetown College Tigers on Saturday afternoon at the Davis-Reid Alumni Gym to wrap up the regular season. Despite a hard-fought effort and a brilliant offensive display, the Lady Tigers were unable to clinch the victory, as Georgetown secured a dramatic 68-67 win in the closing seconds.
- Three Lady Tigers scored in double figures, with senior Whitney Hay leading the way with a game-high 23 points and seven rebounds.
- Dea Bradley poured in 20 points, while Lainey Johnson provided a massive spark off the bench, shooting a highly efficient 4-of-6 from beyond the arc for 12 points.
- Tyra Flowers anchored the team in the hustle categories, tying Hay with seven rebounds while dishing out a team-high five assists and swiping two steals.
- Despite Campbellsville holding a 56-52 lead heading into the fourth quarter, Georgetown's Kayra Freeman converted a game-winning layup with two seconds remaining.
- The Lady Tigers conclude the regular season with a 22-6 overall record and a 7-5 mark in the Mid-South Conference, securing the #4 seed for the upcoming MSC Tournament.
- Campbellsville will face this exact same Georgetown College squad in the MSC Tournament quarterfinals on Friday, February 27, at 3:30 p.m. ET in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
The Lady Tigers started the contest with
Whitney Hay at the charity stripe for a free throw following a pre-game technical foul assessed to Georgetown. Sophomore
Dea Bradley ignited the Campbellsville offense early, securing a defensive rebound and immediately scoring in transition. Following a dominating steal by
Tyra Flowers, Bradley drew a foul to earn a trip to the line. The opening period featured intense, back-and-forth pressure until
Lainey Johnson found her stroke from beyond the arc. Bradley capped off her outstanding first-quarter performance with a late layup, giving the Lady Tigers a 20-13 advantage heading into the second frame.
Georgetown resumed the second quarter with a newfound offensive surge, shooting a blistering 73.3 percent from the floor in the period. Campbellsville struggled to match Georgetown's rhythm, managing only four points early in the frame while the opposing Tigers consistently attacked the paint. Halfway through the quarter, Johnson sparked the struggling Lady Tiger offense by connecting on back-to-back three-pointers. Despite Georgetown's efforts to pull away behind Daysha Reid's perimeter shooting, Campbellsville managed to trim an eight-point deficit down to three, trailing 38-35 at the halftime break.
Coming out of the locker room, the Lady Tigers found their offensive groove. Hay and Bradley teamed up to score Campbellsville's first 17 points of the third quarter, aggressively attacking the rim and hitting mid-range jumpers. Johnson then sank another crucial three-pointer to give the Lady Tigers their first double-digit lead of the half. Georgetown fought back late in the period, tightening the score, but Campbellsville held a 56-52 advantage entering the final ten minutes.
After a sharp offensive third quarter by Campbellsville, the final frame began with another layup at the hands of Hay. However, Georgetown countered with steady scoring to make it a back-and-forth affair. A free throw by
Hallie Allen gave the Lady Tigers a slim 67-66 advantage with 34 seconds remaining. Georgetown held the ball for the final possession, and with just two seconds left on the clock, Kayra Freeman drove to the basket and converted the game-winning layup. Campbellsville called a full timeout but was unable to get a final shot off before the buzzer sounded on the 68-67 defeat.
The Lady Tigers will get an immediate opportunity to avenge Saturday's loss, as they are slated to face the #5-seed Georgetown Tigers in the first quarterfinal matchup on Friday, February 27. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET at the Bowling Green Arena on the campus of Bowling Green High School. The winner will advance to face top-seeded Bethel in the semifinals on Sunday, March 1.
