CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. – The Campbellsville University men's basketball team hosted the Cumberland University Phoenix on Saturday afternoon at the Powell Athletic Center. Behind a combined 50 points from
Dalton Kramer and
Marcellus Vail, the Tigers secured a hard-fought victory, 85-79.
- Dalton Kramer led all scorers with 28 points on 9-of-16 shooting, including four three-pointers, while also pulling down a game-high nine rebounds.
- Marcellus Vail poured in 22 points, connecting on five three-pointers and going 5-of-6 from the charity stripe.
- Taveon Smith orchestrated the offense with a game-high seven assists and added 13 points to round out the Tigers in double figures.
- The Tigers outperformed the Phoenix on the glass, winning the rebounding battle 34-24, and proved more efficient at the free-throw line, shooting 75.0% compared to Cumberland's 66.7%.
- Campbellsville's defense limited Cumberland to just 12 assists while the Tigers dished out 19 assists on 27 made field goals.
- The Campbellsville men's basketball team will be back in action traveling to McKenzie, Tennessee, on Thursday, February 12th, to take on the Bethel University Wildcats beginning at 8:30 p.m. ET.
The opening minutes of the game saw both teams in an even fight for the lead, scoring back-and-forth and keeping the scoreboard tight.
Taveon Smith and
Ra Briggs worked together to spark a run for Campbellsville, pushing the Tigers to a near double-digit lead midway through the half. However, Cumberland sharpened its shooting from long range, cutting the deficit as the break approached. Despite the Phoenix's efforts, Campbellsville took a 40-35 advantage into the locker room.
The Phoenix began the second half aggressive, getting to the free-throw line early.
Marcellus Vail and Cumberland's Triston Conger exchanged two three-pointers each, with the Tigers counteracting the Phoenix's attempt to assert dominance on the court.
Dalton Kramer then took charge of the offense, exploding for 11 points in a span of under two minutes—nine of which came from long range—to stretch the lead.
Eli Brooks also joined the perimeter barrage, connecting on his first three-pointer of the day during the run.
Vail followed in Kramer's footsteps, collecting eight points in a rapid stretch as the Tigers reached their largest lead of the game at 19 points, 66-47.
Refusing to go away, Cumberland mounted a furious comeback, cutting the deficit to just three points, 82-79, with 23 seconds remaining. Forced to foul, the Phoenix sent Campbellsville to the charity stripe.
Jay Milburn and Smith buried clutch free throws in the closing moments to ice the game, preserving the 85-79 conference victory for Campbellsville.
