BUIES
CREEK,
N.C. – Campbell's starting front court combined for 48 points
and 18 rebounds as the Fighting Camels defeated Kennesaw State
77-67 in Atlantic Sun Conference men's basketball action Monday
night at Gore Arena.
Jonathan Rodriguez scored 22
points and pulled down seven rebounds, while center Matt Gwynne hit
season highs with 17 points and nine boards. Miles Taylor added nine points on
4-of-7 shooting for the Camels (5-8, 2-2), who finished with a
38-27 advantage on the glass and won consecutive games for the
first time this year.
Kelvin McConnell led Kennesaw
State (5-7, 1-2) with 22 points – 19 in the second half –
including 4-of-7 threes.
Kurtis Woods added 18 points and Spencer Dixon 14, plus five
assists for the Owls, who dropped their fifth-straight
contest.
"We were extremely focused on
the defensive end at the start and that kept us in the ball
game. Once we settled down,
we were as efficient on both ends for a half as we have been all
year," said Campbell head coach Robbie Laing.
A 6-foot-10 transfer from
Chattanooga, who hails from nearby Angier, N.C., Gwynne made 6-of-8
from the field and all five of his free throws while dealing three
assists in 22 minutes.
Eleven of his points came in the final half.
Rodriguez added three assists
and three steals for CU, which improved to 5-1 during its first
season at the John W. Pope Jr. Convocation Center / Gilbert Craig
Gore Arena.
Campbell never trailed and led 31-23
at half-time by holding the Owls to 29 percent shooting (7-24) and
converting seven offensive rebounds into a 10-4 edge in
second-chance points. The
Camels shot 52 percent (12-23) in the first half, including 4-7
from 3-point territory.
Kennesaw hit four of its
first six threes in the second half; drawing within 47-41 on
Jon-Michael Nickerson's triple from the left wing with 12:19
remaining. However, the
Camels gradually pulled away and led by 16 (63-47) with 5:38 to
play on William Kossangue's rebound and bucket, which capped an 8-0
run.
Dixon's three and jumper ended a
7-0 Kennesaw burst and brought the Owls within 73-65 with 58
seconds remaining, but Rodriguez scored twice from point-blank
range in the last 41 seconds on dishes from Amir Celestin and
Junard Hartley to seal the victory.
Kennesaw started a
three-guard lineup and starting forwards Jon-Michael Nickerson and
Jonathan Whipple finished with a combined seven points and nine
fouls in a total of 36 minutes before both fouled out.
Campbell held Kennesaw to 40 percent
shooting on the night, but the Owls made 9-of-22 (.409) from
3-point range– 6-of-10 in the final stanza – and hit
16-of-20 from the line.
The Camels connected on 51
percent of their shots, 6-of-11 (.545) from beyond the arc and
19-of-26 (.731) free throws. The Camels held a 36-14 edge on points
scored in the paint and converted their 14 offensive rebounds into
a 16-10 advantage in second-chance points.
Campbell returns to action Thursday in
an 8:15 p.m. (CST) tip-off at Lipscomb.
