Box Score NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Trevecca women's basketball team (1-2) dropped a heartbreaker Friday night, losing 93-90 to NAIA No. 8 Campbellsville (3-0) on the opening night of the 7th annual Pops Duncan Classic at the Trojan Fieldhouse.
"Our girls really played their hearts out," said Trojan Assistant Coach Courtney Van Atta. "This really hurts, because we played so well, but so did Campbellsville. They made enough plays at the end to get the win."
Trevecca shot 54% in the first half, leading by as many as nine points at 26-17, before the Tigers bounced back, pushing their lead to as many as five points before settling for a 48-46 at the break. The difference for Campbellsville in the first half was junior Courtney Clifton, who drained 5-9 three-pointers and scored 23 points in the opening 20 minutes.
"She hadn't shot that well in their first two games," said Coach Van Atta. "But I knew she could shoot, because I had seen it before, and she really shot it well tonight. That was one of the best shooting performances I've seen."
The offensive fireworks continued in the second half, with the Trojans continuing to shoot a high percentage, eventually building a nine-point lead, only to see the Tigers continue to apply the pressure. The teams traded buckets throughout the latter stages of the game, with Campbellsville taking the lead at 91-90 with 20.2 seconds left and
Rachel Raby going to the line for a 1-and-1 out of a timeout. But Raby missed the front end, and Trevecca was forced to foul. After two free throws by Campbellsville's Mackenzie Lee, the Trojans had one final chance to tie, but
Haley Felker's three-pointer at the buzzer missed, and the Tigers escaped with the win.
The Trojans shot 52.9% (37-70) from the floor, 30% (6-20) from three-point range, and 66.7% (10-15) from the free throw line. Campbellsville shot 48.6% (35-72) from the field, 50% (8-16) from beyond the arc, and 68.2% (15-22) from the charity stripe. Trevecca had a 46-31 advantage on the glass, and outscored Campbellsville 62-42 in the paint. But 21 Trojans turnovers led to 23 points for the Tigers.
Raby led four Trojans in double figures with 22 points and added 14 rebounds.
Anna Mitchell was outstanding, with 21 points, nine rebounds, and five assists.
Shenita Gleaves added 18 points, four rebounds, and four assists, and
Lauren Wasson added 11 points and a team-high six assists.
Clifton cooled off after halftime for Campbellsville, but still finished with a game-high 31 points. Cox added 16, Katie Allen had 13 points and 10 assists, and Megan Isaacs added 12.
"I feel so bad for the girls, because they played so hard and with so much passion and energy," added Coach Van Atta. "But we've got to put this behind us and get ready for Talladega tomorrow."
Saturday afternoon, Trevecca will battle Talladega College (2-2) at 2 p.m. The Tornadoes won Friday night's opener, defeating Cumberland (1-3) 66-63.
