NASHVILLE, Tenn. Junior Lauren
Arthur hit all four of her free throws in the final minute
to give Campbell a thrilling 66-62 come-from-behind victory over
Belmont on Thursday at the Curb Event Center.
Senior Marlena
Murphy led the offensive charge for Campbell (12-16, 7-8
A-Sun) with 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting. Murphy also hauled in 12
rebounds, while tallying two blocks and two steals. Freshman
Lauren Yesh continued her outstanding
late-season play with 13 points. Lindsay
Smithberger had a strong performance off the bench with 14
points, including the three-point field goal that would give the
Camels the lead for good. Arthur also reached double figures with
10 points. She also led the team with five assists.
The game went back-and-fourth with 13 tied
scores and 14 lead changes with the last coming on Smithberger's
made three with just over two minutes left in the game (2:05) at
58-56. After a defensive stop, Yesh came down and calmly knocked
down both of her attempts from the charity stripe to extend the
lead to four. A Murphy layup put the lead at six with just under a
minute left (00:51).
The Bruins would answer though and cut the
deficit in half on Laura Cowley's made three (62-59). Arthur was
then fouled and knocked down both her attempts from the line to put
the lead back at five with :38 seconds left.
Yesh then made a smart defensive play in a
loose ball situation by calling a timeout to keep Campbell with
possession after a defensive stop (24.1). Arthur again was called
upon, after a foul, and knocked down two more attempts to put the
lead at seven (66-59) with just :21 seconds remaining.
The Bruins would muster one more attempt
and draw within four on a made three from Amber Rockwell but that
was as close as the game would get in a 66-62 Campbell
victory.
Belmont (13-15, 7-8 A-Sun) was led by Brooke Sunday's 16
points. She and Jessica Bobbitt, who had 11 points, were the lone
Bruins in double figures.
Campbell had five players score in the first half led by
Murphy and Arthur's six points. Murphy also ripped down five
rebounds in the first stanza.
For the game, CU shot 43 percent
(22-for-51) but did shoot 46 percent in the second stanza
(12-for-26). The Camels also shot a respectable 84 percent from the
line (16-of-19). The Camels even ended up with more blocked shot
attempts than the A-Sun leaders in blocks at five to
three.
The Camels were able to out-rebound the
Bruins 37 to 31. The CU bench also came up with 18
points.
CU stays
in Nashville and will take on Lipscomb on Saturday at 6 p.m.
cst.