Contact: Stan Cole

Stetson Defeats Campbell 74-60 For Fourth-Straight Victory

BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Josef McNeal came off the bench to score 18 points and Stetson defeated Campbell 74-60 in Atlantic Sun men's basketball action on Monday night at Carter Gym.

The Hatters, who entered the game as the league leader in offensive rebounds at 15.9 per game, pulled down 17 on the attacking glass and turned those opportunities into 18 points. Stetson held a 45-30 edge on the boards and allowed Campbell just three second-chance points on 11 offensive caroms.

Borislav Djordjic added 17 points (5-6 field goals) and seven rebounds (five offensive) for the Hatters (6-8, 4-4), who won their fourth-straight game. E.J. Gordon and Anthony Register scored 11 points apiece. Gordon and Kevin Craig pulled down eight rebounds each for the visitors.

Tarick Johnson led the Camels (1-14, 1-7) with 16 points (3-6 threes), 13 in the second half. Anthony Atkinson scored 15 on 6-of-11 shooting, including 3-of-6 from three-point range. Lee Marsh topped CU with eight boards, while Johnson snared seven.

Stetson's victory marked the first time since Feb. 3-15, 2001 that the Hatters have won four in a row. Ironically, the fourth victory in that streak was a 76-71 decision over the Camels in Carter Gym. Stetson also swept a two-game A-Sun road trip for the first time since Jan. 17-20, 2001.

With the Camels trailing 27-20, Atkinson left the game with the Camels 3:51 remaining in the first half when he collided with teammate Diego Aguiar near midcourt. Campbell went the final four minutes of the opening period without a field goal and Stetson took a 34-23 lead at the break.

Campbell rode a 12-1 run early in the second half to knot the score at 37-37 with 16:16 remaining. Threes by Johnson started and ended the flurry, while Atkinson and Derek Gray also connected from long range. However, Djordjic hit a 10-foot jumper on the next possession and the Hatters never lost the lead thereafter.

Stetson shot 52 percent (14-27) from the floor in the second half, 48 percent (28-58) for the game and led by as many as 16. Campbell hit just 39 percent (13-33) from the field in the opening half, and after the initial rally, made just 2-of-12 threes over the last 16 minutes.

Each team committed 19 turnovers, but Stetson converted Campbell's miscues into 27 points, compared to 12 for the Camels.

Campbell, which was attempting to win consecutive games for the first time since Feb. 7-9, 2002, returns to action on Thursday in an 8:15 (CST) tip-off at Lipscomb. [Box Score].

Satur