HONOLULU, Hawaii – In a matchup of two NAIA top 10 teams at the Hoops in Hawaii Classic, third-ranked Campbellsville University (Ky.) backed up its lofty national ranking. A competitive first 15 minutes transitioned into a runaway win for the Tigers, who cruised, 76-44, over the ninth-ranked Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Basketball team. The two programs met in Honolulu for the second time in five seasons.
Head Coach Drew Olson’s squad continues to challenge itself outside of league play. The Bulldogs (10-3) defeated two top 25 foes at the Cattle Classic and will take on a “receiving votes” team on Friday. In back-to-back outings, Concordia has played a top-three opponent.
“I thought we were doing some decent things in the first half,” Olson said. “We had a nice run right before the media timeout in the second quarter. We cut it to 28-24. We were right there with them, hanging around and doing some good things. We didn’t have the toughness to continue to stay with them. We knew coming into the game they were really hard to score against. We needed this game to be low scoring. When you’re turning the ball over and giving up transition baskets, you’re making it really difficult.”
A powerhouse out of the Mid-South Conference, the Tigers seized control over the final five minutes of the first half. While causing havoc defensively, Campbellsville closed the half on a 13-2 run that provided a 41-26 lead at the break. The margin expanded in the second half as the Bulldogs scored only 11 points in the third quarter and seven in the fourth. Entering the event, the Tigers (14-0) were limiting their opposition to fewer than 50 points per game.
Both teams feature active zone defenses. The one employed by Head Coach Ginger High Colvin allowed Concordia very little activity in the paint. The Bulldogs were outscored significantly in the lane and did not have a double-figure scorer on Thursday. Bree Bunting and JJ Jones posted eight points apiece to pace Concordia. All eight of Jones’ points came in the second quarter.
The Bulldogs shot 16-for-54 (.296) from the floor and 7-for-33 (.212) from 3-point range and were outrebounded, 47-29. As for Campbellsville, it shot 43.1 percent (28-for-65) and also went 17-for-23 (.739) from the foul line. The game’s high scorer was the Tigers’ Whitney Hay, who poured in 23 points on 9-for-15 shooting. Campbellsville turned the ball over only eight times in the face of Concordia’s pressure.
Action from Honolulu will continue on Friday. The Bulldogs are set to take on the University of Providence (Mont.) (8-4) at 11 a.m. HST / 3 p.m. CST inside the Shark Tank, home to Hawaii Pacific University. The two programs met in the 2024 NAIA National Round of 16 with the result being a 73-66 win for the Argonauts. Check out the Hoops in Hawaii Classic homepage HERE.