BUIES
CREEK,
N.C. – Campbell wrapped a 16-3 run around half-time and went
on to a 91-67 victory over UNC Pembroke Saturday afternoon at Gore
Arena.
Jonathan Rodriguez led five
double-figure scorers with 23 points, plus 12 rebounds (seven on
the offensive glass), and the Camels converted 20 UNCP turnovers
into 35 points to halt a five-game losing streak.
Lorne Merthie added 14
points, eight rebounds and eight assists, Jabril Bailey had 13
points and six boards, and Kyle Vejraska scored 12 and Preston
Dodson 11 for Campbell (3-6).
Demarcus Lyday led UNC
Pembroke with 24 points, Cortez Brown added 14 and Brandon Thomas
10 for the Division II Braves, who hit 4-of-10 threes in the
opening half, but just 1-of-8 after the break.
Campbell topped the 90-point
barrier for the third-straight home game by making 49 percent of
its shots, 5-of-10 from long range, and 26-of-32 (.813) from the
line. Rodriguez made
8-of-10 from the line; Bailey hit 6-of-6 and Merthie all four of
his free throws for CU.
The Camel starting back court
of Merthie (eight assists, one turnover) and Junard Hartley (five
dishes) combined for 13 assists and just one turnover.
The Camels finished with a
43-31 edge on the glass and a 44-24 advantage on points in the
paint against a UNCP team that started no player who stood taller
than six-foot-five.
Rodriguez and Vejraska (4 offensive boards) combined for 11 of CU's
12 caroms on the attacking end.
The score was tied three
times in the first 8:10 of the game until the Camels took the lead
for good at 19-17 on Miles Taylor's bucket with 10:44
remaining. UNCP trailed by
only 35-29 with 4:14 left in the opening half when Brown knocked
down his third trey of the half.
However, the Camels closed
the period on a 10-3 flurry and led 45-32 at the break behind
Rodriguez' 13 points and nine from Vejraska.
Campbell then opened the second period
on a 17-3 push, capped by Merthie's triple that gave the Camels
their largest lead of 27 points (62-35) with 12:43 to play. UNCP was unable to trim the
margin to fewer than 20 the rest of the way.
The Camels return to action
one week from Monday (Dec. 29) against Chicago State in the first
round of the UCF Holiday Classic at Orlando, Fla.
