Skip To Main Content

Campbell University

Men's Basketball

Big First Half Sends Campbell by Gardner-Webb 93-73 in A-Sun Men's Basketball

BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Jonathan Rodriguez led four Campbell double figure scorers with 26 points and the Fighting Camels defeated visiting Gardner-Webb 93-73 Friday night in front of a capacity crowd at Carter Gym.

Jake Wohlfeil added 19 points, Reggie Bishop 15 and Kyle Vejraska 13 for the Camels (8-9, 3-2 A-Sun) who won their third-straight game by hitting season-high scoring totals for a game and half (52).

Rodriguez had 18 points in the opening period as the Camels built a 52-34 half-time edge by closing the period on a 16-3 run. Gardner-Webb (8-11, 2-3) was able to cut the lead to eight (72-64) with 7:40 left in the contest, but the Camels closed on a 21-9 flurry to secure their first three-game win streak since November 2006.

Rodriguez matched his season high with 15 rebounds, while connecting on 8-of-14 shots from the field and 10-of-13 from the line. He dealt five assists and had two steals in 35 minutes of play. Wohlfeil canned 5-of-12 threes and Bishop 3-of-5 from the arc as the Camels knocked down 11-of-23 (.478) from 3-point range.

Vejraska hit 2-of-3 from long distance, blocked two shots and pulled down a season-high nine rebounds for the Camels, who held a 50-31 advantage on the boards. Campbell turned 17 offensive rebounds into a 15-7 advantage in second-chance points. Freshman point guard Junard Hartley chipped in a season-best nine points, plus eight assists and seven boards.

Thomas Sanders led Gardner-Webb with 24 points on 7-of-15 from the field and 10-of-16 from the line, plus 14 rebounds and five assists. Grayson Flittner added 18 points, including 6-of-16 threes. Aaron Linn chipped in 11, plus five assists.

Campbell held the Bulldogs to just 37.9 percent (11-29) shooting in the opening half and 43.1 percent (25-58) for the game. The Camels have limited their first five A-Sun opponents to a combined 39.3 percent from the floor.

Nate Blank's three brought Gardner-Webb within 36-31 with 4:59 left in the opening half, but the Bulldogs made just one field goal – on Sanders' tip-in with 2:59 to go – in their last seven attempts of the period.

Campbell led by as many as 23 (60-37) on Vejraska's trey with 17:57 to go. However, Gardner-Webb assembled a 20-7 rally and closed the gap to 70-62 on Matt French's free throw with 9:13 to go.

GWU still trailed by single digits when Flittner canned a three to cut Campbell's edge to 77-68 with 5:27 remaining, but Hartley answered with a triple from the left wing that started a 14-0 burst to put the game out of reach.

The Camels shot 55.2 percent (16-29) from the floor in the final half, making 7-of-11 threes (.636) in the process to defeat the Bulldogs for the second-straight year at Carter Gym.

Campbell continues a three-game home stand on Thursday in a 7:00 p.m. tip-off against Florida Gulf Coast.

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Reggie Bishop

#4 Reggie Bishop

G
6' 3"
Senior
Junard Hartley

#12 Junard Hartley

G
6' 3"
Freshman
Jonathan Rodriguez

#3 Jonathan Rodriguez

F
6' 5"
Sophomore
Kyle Vejraska

#1 Kyle Vejraska

F
6' 8"
Sophomore
Jake Wohlfeil

#2 Jake Wohlfeil

G
6' 4"
Senior

Players Mentioned

Reggie Bishop

#4 Reggie Bishop

6' 3"
Senior
G
Junard Hartley

#12 Junard Hartley

6' 3"
Freshman
G
Jonathan Rodriguez

#3 Jonathan Rodriguez

6' 5"
Sophomore
F
Kyle Vejraska

#1 Kyle Vejraska

6' 8"
Sophomore
F
Jake Wohlfeil

#2 Jake Wohlfeil

6' 4"
Senior
G