Box Score KINGSPORT, Tenn. – Faulkner competed early but ultimately struggled to keep up with the No. 3 team in the country Saturday as it fell to Campbellsville 80-62 as part of The Show.

The Lady Eagles started the game well as Ruthie Smith connected on a trio of layups in a stretch of 57 seconds to put her team up 6-2. After a quick Campbellsville run, Smith knocked down a jumper to put Faulkner back up 8-7 with 6:26 left in the opening quarter. By the 4:36 mark, the Lady Eagles trailed by a bucket. Sydney Steward cashed in a Dee Guinn dish for a three-pointer to go up 11-10 before a Nequoia Adams layup made it 13-10 in favor of Faulkner with 3:14 remaining in the opening period. From there, the nation's No. 3 team took control.

The Tigers went on a 9-0 run that began at the 2:54 mark of the first quarter and lasted until Smith turned a Keyarra Scottland helper into a layup with 8:53 left in the second. The interruption proved just a momentary blip in the Campbellsville run, however, as the Tigers ran the streak to 14-2 before Adams parlayed an Ella Jane Connell pass into a three with 6:55 until halftime. Faulkner fought to keep it within three possessions in the second quarter before a pair of Campbellsville free throws with 1:26 remaining in the period moved the lead to 10.

The charity stripe proved a problem for Faulkner during the game's first 20 minutes as the Lady Eagles hit just one of eight attempts while the Tigers knocked down 11 of 15 looks, accounting for the entirety of the 10-point halftime difference. The bonus shots helped Campbellsville offset shooting woes during the first two frames, a stretch in which it shot just 37 percent from the floor and 28.6 percent from beyond the arc.

Faulkner put together a brief run in the third quarter that allowed it to twice cut the deficit to five. Guinn hit a three and a jumper before a Smith layup to narrow the deficit to 38-3 with 5:18 left in the frame. But the whistle continued to benefit the Tigers as Smith's fourth foul call sent her to the bench and allowed Lauren Lee to make two more free throws with 5:09 remaining in the third. From there, Guinn converted a layup to narrow the deficit back to five. Campbellsville responded with an 8-0 run that move the lead to 13. Guinn fired back again, knocking down a triple with 2:05 on the third quarter clock to get Faulkner back to within 10. After two more Campbellsville free throws, Guinn drew a foul with 1:19 left in the quarter, giving the Lady Eagles their first free throw attempts of the second half. She knocked them both down but the effort was matched quickly with a Hallie Allen three and two more Tiger free throws. At the end of the third quarter, Campbellsville had built its lead to 54-40 and had knocked down 18 of 23 looks from the free throw line while also leading the rebounding battle 38-20.

The glass proved problematic for Faulkner most of the night as the Lady Eagles lost the rebounding battle 50-27, including 21-9 on the offensive glass. Faulkner shot 42.1 percent from the field and 22.7 percent from beyond the arc while the Tigers shot 42.4 and 16.7, respectively. Faulkner ended the night 9-17 at the free throw line while Campbellsville went 22-29 at the stripe.

Smith topped Faulkner with 16 points and five rebounds to go along with three blocks. Guinn finished with 14 points and three assists. Steward and Adams had nine points apiece.

Faulkner (4-6, 0-2 SSAC) returns to action Thursday when it travels to Hattiesburg, Miss. to take on William Carey.