BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Belmont freshman guard Kiki Radford stole a pass intended for Campbell University forward Crystal Clary with three seconds left in the game to seal Belmont University’s (5-0, 1-0) first-ever Atlantic Sun Conference win, 67-66, at Campbell (1-5, 0-1), Saturday. Radford finished with six steals and seven assists en route the Bruins first-ever league win.
Both teams went into the half tied at 36. The Lady Camels had scored the first two points of the game, marking the first time all season that Belmont had trailed during a game. The lead would change hands four times in the opening half, with CU having its biggest lead of the game when the Camels were up by seven with 11:45 remaining.
Campbell opened the second half with more defensive pressure, converting two Bruin turnovers into a four-point lead before Belmont tied it up at 40 on a jumper from Candice Mitchell, who finished with 13 points. Belmont would hold on to the lead until Campbell briefly took a one point lead off a Crystal Clary jumper with 6:27 remaining. Belmont’s Erica Davenport countered with one of her five treys to put the Bruins back up, 58-56, a lead they would not relinquish for the remainder of the game. Davenport led Belmont with 15 points, including 5-of-9 shooting from three-point range, six assists, and four steals.
The Bruin three-point shooting was the story of the game as Belmont won its first-ever Atlantic Sun Conference game despite being out-rebounded 40-22 and being on the lopsided end in number of trips to the free-throw line, 28-15. Both teams struggled with turnovers due to a combination of defensive pressure and physical play, combining for 51 turnovers, including 31 from the Lady Camels.
Senior April Cromartie was a force for Belmont to deal with all day inside, finishing with 35 points, tying a career-high. Cromartie had 17 points and nine rebounds in the first half alone. Sophomore Crystal Clary was the only other Lady Camel to hit double-digit scoring in Campbell’s fifth-consecutive loss. Clary finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
The Lady Camel's loss marks the first time since 1983-84, Head Coach Wanda Watkins' third year at the helm of CU, that a Campbell women's basketball team has lost five in a row.
Campbell University will break for final exams and will not play another game for 16 days until they travel to Appalachian State, Dec. 17.
Belmont, in its first year as a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference, will host defending conference champion, Georgia State, Monday, at 6:30 p.m. (CST). [Box score]