BUIES
CREEK, N.C. - Preston Dodson scored a career-high 24 points and
Campbell defeated Longwood 93-77 Saturday in its men's basketball
home opener at the Pope Center/Gore Arena.
Lorne Merthie added 19 points, Junard Hartley 15 and Amir Celestin
12 for the Camels (3-3), who shot 60 percent from the field for the
game despite playing without leading scorer Eric Griffin, who
missed the game with an ankle injury.
Antwan Carter led five Longwood (3-3) double figures scorers with
14 points. Jeremiah Bowman and Aaron Mitchell added 13 each; Jan
van der Kooij had 12, plus nine rebounds, and Martiz Washington 11
for the Lancers, who dropped to 0-3 against Division I opponents
this season.
A senior from South Mills, N.C., and Camden County High School,
Dodson scored 15 points in the second half, when he made 7-of-8
shots. For the game, the 6-foot-6 forward hit 10-of-13 from the
floor to tie a Gore Arena record for shots made in a game, grabbed
seven rebounds, dealt three assists and had two steals in 34
minutes.
Merthie scored 14 of his 19 points in the opening frame, while
pulling down 8 rebounds to tie his career high. The junior guard
added six assists and four steals while committing just one
turnover in 35 minutes.
Hartley recorded season-highs for points and assists (9) with no
turnovers for the Camels, who had just seven miscues on the day and
finished with a 48-18 edge on points scored in the paint.
Longwood hit 13-of-20 threes (.650), 7-of-10 in the opening period
and shot 50 percent (25-50) for the game, but the Camels made more
free throws (24-36) than the Lancers attempted (14-20).
Campbell jumped to a 20-4 lead with 13:11 remaining in the opening
half, but Longwood clawed back to within 40-34 at the break, thanks
to van der Kooij's 12 first-half points on 4-of-4 shooting from
long range.
Merthie's three with 15:08 remaining gave the Camels a 56-47
advantage, but the Lancers responded with a 9-0 run and knotted the
score on Carter's lay-up with 12:35 to go.
After the teams exchanged buckets, Martell Jackson's put-back put
the Camels in front for good with 10:43 to play. Longwood pulled
with 70-66 on Martiz Washington's three with 6:18 to go, but
Hartley scored twice on drives; then fed Marvelle Harris for a dunk
to push the edge to double figures. Longwood never drew closer
than eight the rest of the way.
The Camels led by as many as 19 down the stretch thanks in part to
back-to-back technical fouls on Carter and Washington with 1:26
remaining.
Campbell finished with a 29-27 edge on the glass and out-scored the
Lancers on the break by a 16-2 edge.
The Fighting Camels return to action Monday against Division II
Johnson C. Smith in a 7:00 p.m. tip-off at Gore Arena.