BUIES CREEK, N.C. - Kyle Vejraska's free throw with 3.1 seconds
remaining providing the winning margin and Campbell rallied from a
15-point half-time deficit to defeat visiting North Florida 59-58
in the Atlantic Sun Conference men's basketball opener for both
teams Friday at Gore Arena.
Jonathan Rodriguez scored 16 of his game-high 18 points in the
second half as the Camels came back from a 31-16 deficit. Vejraska
came off the bench to score 10 points for Campbell (4-1, 1-0),
which is 4-1 for the first time in 22 years. Rodriguez added nine
rebounds and Junard Hartley equaled his career-high with five
steals.
A senior from Bayamon, Puerto Rico, Rodriguez became Campbell's
career scoring leader during the Division I era (since 1977-78)
with 1715 points in 96 games. Joe Spinks scored 1711 points in his
career from 1990-94. Rodriguez now stands third on Campbell's
all-time scoring list behind only Sam Staggers (1947 from 1973-77)
and Johnny Marshbanks (1723 from 1965-69).
Stan Januska led UNF (1-4, 0-1) with 16 points, including 4-of-7
from 3-point range. Matt Sauey came off the bench to score 15 on
6-of-9 shooting, plus four blocks for UNF, which lost its
second-straight game.
"You have to give a lot of credit to North Florida," said
seventh-year Camel head coach Robbie Laing. "They were emotionally
more prepared than we were and didn't back off. But we showed a
lot of heart after half-time, got back in it and managed to come
out with a win."
Campbell opened the final stanza on a 17-3 run to cut the deficit
to 34-33 by scoring 10 points off five UNF turnovers in the first
3:48.
With the score tied at 58-all, Junard Hartley's pass from the right
wing found Vejraska alone under the basket. The senior forward
went up for a dunk, but was fouled hard by Andy Diaz (his fifth
personal).
After Vejraska sank the first of two foul shots, his second caromed
off the right side and was grabbed by UNF's David Jeune and CU's
Lorne Merthie. UNF gained the alternating possession, but Sauey's
long pass with 1.2 seconds left was tipped by a trio of Camels and
time ran out.
Friday's game marked the fifth-straight contest between the league
rivals that was decided by five, or fewer, points. CU has won six
of the last seven against the Ospreys.
UNF scored the first nine points of the game and led by 15 at the
half as the Camels made just 5-of-9 shots in the opening stanza
(.263) and committed 13 turnovers, which the Ospreys converted into
14 points. North Florida, meanwhile, made 50 percent from the
field in the opening period.
Campbell outscored the visitors 41-19 to take its largest lead
(57-50) of the game with 5:30 remaining when William Kossangue made
2 of 3 from the line. However, CU went the final 6:19 without a
field goal and the Ospreys drew even on Sauey's dunk with 3:44 to
play.
Hartley made the second of two free throws with 1:23 to play to put
the Camels ahead 58-57, while Brad Haugabrook hit the first of two
with 1:08 left that left the score knotted at 58-all.
Campbell turned the ball over on the ensuing possession, but Will
Wilson missed a 3 from with 38 seconds to go and Hartley rebounded,
giving the Camels a chance to take the final shot.
Campbell shot 60 percent (12-20) from the floor in the second half
to finish at 43.6 percent (17-39) for the game. UNF made 22-of-44
(.500) from the field. CU, however, made eight more free throws
(20-of-24) than the visitors attempted (8-12), including 15-of-18
in the final period.
UNF continues its two-game A-Sun road swing with a Sunday afternoon
contest at East Tennessee State. Campbell is off for final
examinations until Dec. 7 when it hosts Southern Virginia.
