BOX SCORE (pdf)
BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Reco McCarter led four Camels in double figures and Campbell defeated Presbyterian 77-66 Wednesday night at Gore Arena.
McCarter scored 21 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dealt 5 assists for the Camels (12-14, 6-5 Big South), who halted a 3-game losing streak. Luke Moyer added a career-high 16 points, Leek Leek had 14 and Kyre' Hamer 13.
A junior forward from Goldsboro, McCarter made 8-of-9 shots on the night. Moyer hit 6-of-7 off the bench, including 4-of-5 from 3-point territory, while Leek connected on 5-of-8 from the field, 4-of-5 beyond the arc.
After leading by two at the break (37-35), Campbell shot 61.5 percent from the floor in the second half and led by as many as 14 in the final stanza.
Jordan Downing led Presbyterian (5-21, 1-10) with 18 points, including 4-of-9 from distance. William Truss added 17 points and 18 rebounds, while Markus Terry had 17 points. Reggie Dillard chipped in 10 points and 6 assists for PC, which has dropped 12 of its last 13 outings.
Hamer and Moyer scored 11 points each in the final period for the Camels, who outscored Presbyterian 13-6 over the final 5:21.
Over the last five games, Moyer has connected on 14-of-22 (.636) threes and is averaging 11.2 points.
On a night where 1249 spectators braved wintry conditions to see CU improve to 5-1 against the Big South at home, Campbell shot 50 percent (30-60) from the floor, 9-of-23 from 3-point distance and finish with a 20-8 edge in points off turnovers.
Presbyterian shot 48 percent (26-54) the field, made 4-of-15 (.267) from the arc.
PC hit 11 of its first 15 shots and jumped to a 25-18 lead when Downing made a pull-up jumper from the left baseline with 9:15 to play.
However, the Camels answered with a 13-2 run and claimed a 31-27 edge on Kyre' Hamer's drive in transition with 4:49 remaining.
McCarter, who had 15 first-half points, hit a pair of free throws with 1.6 seconds left in the period to put CU ahead 37-35 at the break. The Camels shot just 41 percent (14-34) in the opening half, but held a 13-2 advantage in points off turnovers.
Presbyterian made 15-of-27 (.556) from the field before intermission, but just 3 of its final 10. Downing scored 11 points in the opening half, while Truss and Terry added 8 each.
"We executed a little bit better at both ends in the second half," said Campbell head coach Kevin McGeehan. "On offense, we were a little more aggressive. We were pretty solid defensively and got some tough rebounds when they missed on drives."
The Blue Hose dropped to 1-12 in away games this season, 0-5 in Big South road outings. Campbell won its third-straight in the series with PC.
"You get a bit emotional when you see all these people that got in their cars to come out in this weather and support us tonight," said McGeehan. "And about half of the students on campus came out. They could have easily stayed in their dorms and watched the Olympics, but it meant a lot to us to see them here."
Campbell continues a two-game home stretch Saturday with a 7:00 p.m. tip-off vs. Longwood.
