March 16, 2007

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Rafael Da Silva scored 23 points to lead four players in double-figures, as Concordia (Calif.) defeated Campbellsville (Ky.) 83-72 in the second round of the 2007 Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City.

Zach Allender scored 34 points in the loss for his second-straight 30-point outing in the tournament, as Campbellsville finished the season with a final record of 27-7 despite a 32-22 edge on the glass in the game. The Eagles (29-6) move into the quarterfinals to take on the winner of the game between Southern Nazarene (Okla.) and Union (Tenn.). Concordia's win also marked the 10th-straight season that a school from the Golden State Athletic Conference has advanced into the tournament's Elite Eight.

The Eagles scored the game's first six points over the first two minutes, but Campbellsville would fight back to within one with 13:31 to play in the half on a basket by Chad Robinson. Concordia continued to keep the Tigers at bay, however, scoring the next eight to go up 19-10 with 11:59 left.

With 4:38 left in the half, Kyle Huggett went strong to the basket, draining a jumper while being fouled and completing the 3-point play to give the Eagles a 12-point lead and a double-digit advantage for the remainder of the half.

Trailing 44-31 at the half, Campbellsville opened the second on a 12-6 run to cut the lead to single-digits at 51-42, and the Tigers continued to snip away at the advantage until the 8:46 mark in the game when a James Steward bucket brought the Tigers to within a basket from tying at 61-59.

Campbellsville could not manage to tie or regain the lead, however, as Concordia scored the next four points to extend its lead to six, never looking back and finishing the game by outscoring the Tigers 22-14 over the games final eight and a half minutes.

Joining Da Silva in double figures for the Eagles were Terrence Worthy and Huggett with 16 points and Levi Luster with 11 in the game. Steward and Bubba Long also found the double-digit column for Campbellsville with 10 each.

Concordia used a 17-10 advantage in the turnover department to advance, also grabbing nine steals to Campbellsville's two.