Columbia, KY - Carolina University Men's Basketball earned its first victory of the season Friday, October 30, rallying past Campbellsville University, 61–60, on the opening day of the Brady Button Memorial Classic at Biggers Sports Center.
Coming off a season-opening loss to Milligan University, the Bruins responded with a strong defensive effort after halftime to improve to 1–1. Campbellsville, which entered the matchup following a victory over West Virginia Tech, also moved to 1–1.
Noah Jones provided a spark off the bench, leading Carolina with 18 points on 8-of-12 shooting while adding five rebounds, two assists and two steals. DJ Evans finished with 14 points and seven rebounds, while Jaylen Wilkerson contributed 10 points and three assists. Israel Griffin anchored the Bruins inside with eight rebounds, seven points and two blocks, and Nate Lewis added nine points and five rebounds.
Campbellsville built a double-digit advantage late in the first half and carried a 35–27 lead into the break. Carolina answered quickly in the second half, drawing even at 36–36 on a Israel Griffin layup with 16:55 remaining.
The teams traded the lead before Carolina created separation midway through the half. Trailing 44–42, the Bruins scored 11 consecutive points, fueled by three-pointers from Noah Jones, DJ Evans and Jaylen Wilkerson. Will Dixion capped the run with a layup, giving Carolina a 53–44 advantage with 8:24 to play.
Campbellsville fought back, trimming the margin to 59–58 with 3:21 remaining. Carolina held its narrow lead through several defensive possessions before DJ Evans knocked down two free throws with 24 seconds left to extend the advantage to three.
The Tigers answered with a basket to pull within one, but Carolina held on. DJ Evans secured the rebound following a missed Campbellsville jumper in the closing seconds, helping the Bruins finish the comeback.
"I'm proud of the way our guys responded after halftime," said Head Coach Jacob Heck. "We competed defensively, stayed together and gave ourselves an opportunity to win a close game. There are still areas we need to clean up, but finding a way to finish against a good team is an important step for this group."
Carolina outscored Campbellsville 34–25 in the second half, holding the Tigers to 30.8 percent shooting over the final 20 minutes. The Bruins shot 46 percent overall and connected on eight of their 20 three-point attempts. Campbellsville finished at 41.1 percent from the field and 3-of-16 from beyond the arc.
Carolina returns to action Saturday, October 31, facing host Lindsey Wilson College at 5 p.m. on the final day of the Brady Button Memorial Classic.
