Video Highlights and post-game interviews

BUIES CREEK, N.C. -- Trey Freeman scored 24 points and Campbell closed the game on an 11-4 run Saturday to defeat Winthrop 63-59 Saturday at Gore Arena.

The Camels (9-10, 4-1) won for the sixth time in the last seven outings and moved into a tie for first place in the Big South Conference North Division.

Freeman hit 8-of-14 from the floor, 7-of-8 from the line and dealt 5 assists for Campbell, which shot 51.1 percent for the game.  Andrew Ryan added a season-high 12 points on 5-of-6 shots, plus 4 assists.  Darius Leonard finished with 10 points and 6 rebounds, while Marvelle Harris added 9, plus a game-high 8 boards.  Reco McCarter scored 8 as Campbell's five starters accounted for all 63 points.

Joab Jerome led Winthrop (7-10, 1-4) with 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting. James Bourne chipped in 10, while Andre Smith and Derrick Henry added 9 apiece for the Eagles, who lost for the fifth time in the last six contests.

"With the game on the line, we amped it back up a little bit, got some stops, forced them to foul us and we had the right guy going to the line in Trey Freeman," said Campbell head coach Robbie Laing.  "Our defense definitely was the key for us today."

Winthrop led 55-52 after Henry scored in traffic with 4:49 to go, but Leonard scored underneath off McCarter's assist on the next possession.  On the following trip down court, Leonard stole the ball from Henry and fed McCarter for a lay-up in transition to start the final push.

Freeman's pull-up jumper with 1:52 to go gave the Camels a 60-57 lead, but Jerome answered with a drive in the lane to trim the gap to one with 1:23 remaining.  Freeman was called for traveling on the following sequence and Winthrop called its final time out with 47.8 seconds left.  Henry missed a three with 25 seconds to go and Leonard rebounded; then fed Freeman, who was fouled and sank a pair for a 62-59 edge with 18.8 remaining.

Smith attempted a deep three, but Harris grabbed the miss and made the first of two foul shots for what proved to be the final margin.  In the final seconds, Smith attempted to draw a foul on a 3-point attempt, but lost the ball on the way up and the horn sounded to end the game.

Campbell held Winthrop to 39.6 percent (21-53) shooting on the day and made as many free throws (13-of-17) as the Eagles attempted (9-of-13).

The Camels jumped in front 11-2 just 4:48 into the contest, sparked by dunks by Harris and McCarter that came off Winthrop turnovers.  Winthrop, however, responded with a 13-4 push and tied the game at 15 on Smith's 3 with 7:30 to go in the period.

Christian Farmer hit a triple to give the Eagles a 22-19 edge with 4:41 left in the period, but CU closed the stanza on a 15-2 run to take a 34-24 lead into the dressing room.

Campbell shot 57.7 percent (15-26) in the opening half, while Winthrop made just 34.6 percent (9-26) of its first-half attempts.

Freeman's jumper just 10 seconds into the second half gave CU its largest lead (36-24) and Campbell led 44-37 with 12:42 remaining before Winthrop rallied.  Henry scored 9 points in an 18-8 Eagle run to give Winthrop the 3-point edge (55-52) before the Camels closed out their fourth Big South win in five chances.

The Camels return to action Wednesday at home against Radford in a 7:00 p.m. tip-off.

Campbell vs. Winthrop Notes:

• The Camels stand 6-3 on the year at Gore Arena and have won the last three on their home floor.  Saturday's attendance (2518) was the 10th-highest for a men's basketball game since the facility opened in 2008-09.  Campbell's 3 home losses this year came by a total of 9 points.
• Sophomore Darius Leonard has scored in double figures 5 times in his last 6 games and is scoring at an 11.6 clip against Big South foes.
• Campbell tops the Big South with a 45.6 team field goal percentage overall, 47.3 percent in conference play.
• Trey Freeman matched his season-high of 24 points he scored two weeks ago in a triple-overtime victory against Gardner-Webb.  He has scored in double-digits in each of CU's first five Big South games.
• Campbell won for the third time in four games since leading scorer Darren White (21.8 points per game) suffered a knee injury late in the 2nd half against Gardner-Webb (Jan. 5).  With White sidelined, CU has defeated Longwood and Presbyterian on the road and Winthrop at home, while falling last Wednesday at VMI.
• Winthrop is 0-6 all-time in Buies Creek, 0-2 at Gore Arena and 0-4 in a quartet of visits to old Carter Gym (1993-99).  Campbell hosted Winthrop in 8 games at Fayetteville's Cumberland Co. Arena (1985-1992) with each team winning 4 times.