Contact: Stan Cole

Campbell Runs Win Streak to Three With 93-72 Victory Over North Carolina A&T

BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Eric Smith led five Camels in double figures and Campbell won its third-straight men's basketball game with a 93-72 triumph over winless North Carolina A&T Wednesday night at Carter Gym.

Campbell (3-3) registered its most lopsided victory over a Division I opponent since a 22-point win at UNC Wilmington on Dec. 16, 1995 and marked its first three-game streak since Feb. 17-24, 2001.

Smith scored 23 points on 10-of-17 shooting. Maurice Latham added 17 points (including 11-13 free throws), 12 rebounds and five assists, while Ruell Pringle chipped in 17, plus four assists. Diego Aguiar came off the bench to add 12 points and a career-best 14 rebounds, while Ledell Eackles had 11 points, six assists and three steals.

Demetrius Guions led A&T (0-6) with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Jason Wills added 14, plus 11 boards, while Greg Roberts (12) and Walter Booth (10) also hit double digits.

The Camels rode an early 10-2 run to take the lead and built the margin to as many as 19 before leading 44-30 at the break. Smith, a junior guard from Chicago, who entered the game as the national leader in 3-pointers made per game (4.8), had 15 points (7-10 from the field) in the opening half.

Guions scored the first points of the second half to cut the gap to 44-32, but the Aggies never got closer as the Camels built the edge to as many as 23. A 10-2 Aggie run, capped by Guions' jumper, brought the visitors within 75-61 with 4:50 remaining. The Camels, however, answered with a 10-1 burst to push the gap to 85-62 with just under three minutes to go.

Campbell held a 57-36 edge on the glass, its second-straight 50-plus rebounding effort, and scored 21 second-chance points, compared to just eight for the Aggies. Aguiar (8) and Latham (7) combined for 15 of Campbell's 26 offensive boards as the Camels overcame a season-high 26 points.

The Fighting Camels notched their highest scoring game in Coach Robbie Laing's two-plus seasons and the most since a 99-80 win over High Point on Dec. 17, 2002.

Campbell shot 41.3 percent (33-80) from the floor and hit nine threes in a school-record 37 attempts (.243), while making 18-26 from the stripe (.692).

NC A&T made a season-best 45 percent (27-60) from the field, but just 4-of-16 beyond the arc (.250) and only 14-of-32 (.438) from the line. The Aggies were without guards Austin Ewing (shoulder injury) and Dejuan Morrison (suspension), who entered the game shooting a combined 25-of-64 (.391) from 3-point range.

The Fighting Camels play the first of five-straight road games Saturday at Evansville. [ Box Score ]