Contact: Stan Cole

UNC Wilmington Holds off Campbell 71-59

BUIES CREEK, N.C. – UNC Wilmington withstood a second-half rally by Campbell in the first men's basketball game played between the schools at Carter Gym since 1977 and went on to a 71-59 win on Monday night.

Ed Spencer led the Seahawks (3-1) with 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting, while Anthony Terrell came off the bench to add 16 points on 7-of-11 from the floor, including a pair of threes, and six boards. Taylor Lay and Georgia Tech transfer Halston Lane each scored nine points.

Senior Tarick Johnson topped the Camels (0-4) with 13 points and nine rebounds, while freshmen Diego Aguiar and Russ Gibson added 11 apiece.

Playing in front of a greater-than-capacity crowd of 1053, the schools traded the lead seven times and the score was tied on six occasions in the first 12:37 of the game. Lee Marsh's two foul shots put the Camels ahead 18-17 with 8:01 left in the first half, but UNCW score nine unanswered points – seven by Terrell – in the midst of a 15-2 run and never trailed thereafter.

UNCW led 34-26 at the half, then Spencer canned a three to push the gap to 11 with 19:26 left. However, the Camels answered with a 14-3 rally as five different players scored in the span to cut the margin to 41-40 on Johnson's baseline jam with 16:21 left.

Campbell then had a chance to go in front on its next possession, but Aguiar's post move on the left blocks rolled off the rim and the Camels turned the ball over four times in their next five possessions. Lane's foul shots pushed the UNCW advantage to 50-41, capping a 9-1 rally and the Camels never drew closer than seven.

UNC Wilmington, which won the last two Colonial Athletic Association championships and lost by two against Maryland in the opening round of the 2003 NCAA Tournament, shot 48.3 percent (28-58) from the floor, 84.6 percent (11-13) from the line, and had just 11 turnovers. Campbell committed 15 turnovers, but 10 came in the second half.

The Camels shot 38.7 percent from the field (24-62) and made 8-of-12 free throws. Campbell held a 36-35 edge on the glass, marking the first time the Camels out-rebounded an opponent this year.

The meeting was the first between the schools at 50-year-old Carter Gym since the Camels joined the NCAA Division I ranks prior to the 1977-78 season. The schools played 18 games during that span that Campbell was designated as the "home" team at four different venues, but none on campus. UNCW won 13 of those 18.

Overall, the Seahawks hold a 53-39 edge in the series, 32-7 since the '77-78 year, and have won six-straight against their eastern North Carolina rivals.

UNCW returns to action on Thursday in its CAA opener at William & Mary. Campbell takes an eight-day break for final examinations before traveling to UNC Greensboro on Dec. 9. [Boxscore]