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BUIES CREEK, N.C. --- RaeChaun Edwards and Amanda Coffer combined for 31 points in Campbell's 56-55 victory over N.C. A&T on Wednesday afternoon. A crowd of nearly 3,000 filled Gore Arena for the annual Education Day game featuring area elementary school students from Harnett and surrounding counties.
After leading by as many as 11 late in the first half, Campbell (2-1) trailed N.C. A&T (0-2) 52-51 with four minutes to play. MaKala Rouse hit a contested layup in the next possession to give CU a one-point advantage before Coffer blocked an Aggie shot on the other end. Following two missed A&T free throws, Coffer nailed a midrange jumper to give the Lady Camels a 55-52 lead with 2:17 on the clock.
Still facing a three-point deficit, Dana Brown missed the game-tying three-pointer with 38 seconds on the clock. Qua Brown pulled down the key rebound before Brianna Cribb was fouled and sent to the line for a pair of free throws. Cribb missed both attempts and the Aggies had another chance to tie the game down just three.
Kala Green put up A&T's second attempt to tie the game with nine seconds to go, but it hit the back of the iron. Rouse pulled down the board and hit the outlet pass to Summer Price, who was fouled. Price stepped to the line and hit one of two to put CU up 56-52 with four seconds remaining. Green hit a three as the final horn sounded, but the Lady Camels claimed the narrow one-point victory.
"Summer is a tremendous free throw shooter and she made the biggest one of all, which was the last," said Head Coach Wanda Watkins. "Having missed the first, knocking down the last one was just the icing on the cake. We also came up with some big rebounds late. We made some mistakes that could have been crucial but we got the stops at the other end down the stretch."
Edwards had a game-high 16 points with four assists while Coffer finished with 15 points, three rebounds and two blocks. Price had eight points on 3-of-6 shooting while Rouse tallied a season-high six points, four steals and matched a season-high seven rebounds.
Edwards hit a three at the buzzer to give the Lady Camels a 20-13 advantage after the first period. A jumper by Coffer gave CU its first double-digit lead at 25-15 with 6:49 to go in the second.
Coffer hit her first three-pointer of the season to give Campbell its largest lead of the contest at 33-22 with 1:50 to go before halftime. However, the Aggies finished the half on a 7-0 run to cut Campbell's advantage to just 33-29 at the break.
Neither side led by more than six in the third period. Dana Brown tied the game at 44-44 with a three 27 seconds to go in the frame. Caroline Bowns answered with a three at eight seconds on the clock but Adriana Nazario hit a trey as time expired to tie the score at 47-47 heading the fourth period.
Dana Brown led N.C. A&T with 12 points while Michelle Fitzgerald and Green each tallied eight. Kenya Hailey had a team-high eight rebounds.
CU registered its best field goal percentage of the season shooting 51.3 percent (18-for-35) from the floor and 54.5 percent (6-for-11) from beyond the arc. Campbell also moves to a perfect 6-0 on Education Day since the tradition started in 2010.
Campbell will be back in action for its final home game in November on Saturday when it plays host to Mount St. Mary's at 1 p.m. inside Gore Arena.
