Lady Tigers tip off 21st trip to nationals on Wednesday

Richard RoBards

Wednesday will be Ellen Sholtes' first trip to the NAIA Division 1 Women's National Tournament, but it will be the 21st for the Campbellsville University Lady Tigers.

Campbellsville University women’s basketball will return to the NAIA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament for the 21st time in program history March 13-19 at the Frankfort (Ky.) Convention Center.
The Lady Tigers (24-9) enter the tournament ranked No. 14 in the NAIA, will be a No. 4 seed and will meet Wiley (Tex.) College (28-3) in the first round Wednesday at 8 p.m.
“We are glad to know who we play and when. We are thrilled about the start of the tournament and ready to get started,” said CU head coach Ginger Colvin. “I’m pleased with where we are (in the rankings) — top 15 with nine loses.
“You probably look at that and think you don’t deserve to be in the top 15, but three of those loses are to the No. 6 team in the country (Cumberland, Tenn.).”
Campbellsville is one of six Mid-South Conference teams that qualified for the 32-team bracket.
The winner of Wednesday’s game will face top-ranked Freed-Hardeman University or West Virginia University Tech on Friday (6:15). The championship final will be televised on CBS Sports Network March 19.
• • •
Campbellsville University men’s basketball fell six points shy of earning the final at-large bid to the 76th annual NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament.
Due to four upsets in conference tournaments last week, the Tigers needed to climb to No. 28 in last Wednesday’s final poll. They finished 29th with 26 points, six points behind Culver-Stockton College (32).
CU concluded its season with a 20-12 record, including a perfect 3-0 record against NAIA Top five opponents and a 5-4 mark against Top 25 programs at the time the Tigers playing them.
Campbellsville advanced finished fourth in the Mid-South Conference standings and fell in the tourney semifinals to Lindsey Wilson after beating Shawnee State University in the opening round 78-67. Three Mid-South Conference teams made the NAIA Tournament: No. 2 Lindsey Wilson, No. 8 Pikeville and No. 13 Georgetown.
The other team to qualify that was on the Tigers’ schedule this season is No. 20 Martin Methodist College.

Campbellsville University Lady Tigers
at NAIA Division 1 Women’s National Tournaments
Year    Opponent    W-L    Score
1983    Alabama-Huntsville    L    76-66
1990    St. Ambrose (Iowa)    L    97-83
1991    Northern Montana    L    61-60
1992    Doane (Neb.)    L    79-72
1993    Simon Fraser (B.C.)    W    91-76
    David Lipscomb (Tenn.)    L    76-70
1994    Rio Grande (Ohio)    W    82-79
    David Lipscomb (Tenn.)    L    80-65
1995    Rockhurst (Mo.)    W    69-54
    Arkansas Tech    W    60-56
    Southern Nazarene (Okla.)    L    76-48
1996    Wayland Baptist (Tex.)    W    81-80
    Union (Tenn.)    L    80-58
1997    Oklahoma Christian    W    75-72
    Simon Fraser (B.C.)    L    71-44
1998    LeTourneau (Tex.)    W    92-56
    Oklahoma City (Okla.)    W    69-51
    Southern Nazarene (Okla.)    L    72-67
2000    Houston Baptist    W    64-55
    Freed-Hardeman    W    72-64
    Oklahoma City    L    69-65
2001    Oklahoma Baptist    L    70-69
2002    Benedict     W    88-44
    Mobile    W    61-60
    Southern Nazarene    L    75-56
2003    Point Loma Nazarene    L    71-49
2004    Lubbock Christian    W    67-54
    North Georgia    L    70-60
2005    North Georgia    L    64-47
2009    Columbia    L    64-60
2010    LSU-Shreveport    W    64-55
    Trevecca Nazarene    W    75-57
    Oklahoma City    L    86-77
2011    John Brown    W    76-51
    Langston    W    80-67
    Freed-Hardeman    L    79-74
2012    Saint Xavier (Ill.)    L    75-57
(Won 17, lost 20)
Note: The 1983 tourney was held in Kansas City, Mo. All games from 1990-2011 were played in Jackson, Tenn. Last season and this will be played in Frankfort.