RIO GRANDE, Ohio — WVU Tech men's basketball put together one of its most complete performances of the season Friday afternoon, going basket for basket with undefeated Campbellsville before falling 67–61 at the Bevo Francis Classic.
The Golden Bears (1–6) matched Campbellsville's physicality early, shooting 44.4 percent in the opening half and getting key contributions from across the lineup. WVU Tech held the Tigers, who entered the day averaging 81.6 points per game, to just 36 first half points, matching one of the lowest first half totals of Campbellsville's season.
Tech trailed 36–30 at the break but continued to surge coming out of halftime. A 3–pointer from Liam Craven and a jumper from Christian Goebel pulled the Golden Bears within 36–35 at the 18:30 mark, and Tech later took its first lead of the afternoon at 41–40 on two free throws by Max Morgan with 16:24 remaining.
Campbellsville (8–0) responded with timely free throws and second chance plays, but WVU Tech stayed within one or two possessions for nearly the entire half. The Tigers, one of the nation's most efficient offensive teams, were held to 31 second half points, well below their season pace.
Brandon Moore led WVU Tech with 19 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals while shooting 8–of–14 from the floor. Craven added 14 points on 4–of–9 shooting from three, and Cole Chapman delivered another steady two way outing with six points, seven rebounds, two assists and no turnovers in 36 minutes.
Morgan provided a major spark off the bench, finishing with eight points on 3–of–4 shooting and four rebounds. Roman Kellum added six points and two boards, while Jackson Tackett pulled down a game high eight rebounds.
WVU Tech finished the day shooting 45.1 percent from the field, better than Campbellsville's season average allowed (42.8), and outscored the Tigers 34–26 in the paint, becoming just the second team this season to win the paint battle against Campbellsville. Tech also held the Tigers to their second lowest three point total (7) and one of their lowest scoring outputs of the year (67).
Despite the narrow margin, the Golden Bears showed clear steps forward, matching an unbeaten opponent statistically across the board and leading twice in the second half.
📊 Season Totals (through Nov. 21)
Record: 1–6 overall
Team Averages
- Points per game: 73.4
- Rebounds per game: 36.7
- Assists per game: 13.4
- Field Goal %: 46.4 | 3PT %: 32.1 | FT %: 70.2
Team Leaders
🗓 What's Next
WVU Tech continues action at the Bevo Francis Classic Saturday when they face Carolina University at 1 p.m.
