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BOX SCORE (PDF)

BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Chris Clemons' 23-footer with 3 seconds to play capped an 18-point comeback and lifted Campbell to a 66-65 win over VMI Monday at Gore Arena.

The Camels (4-2) trailed by 18 when QJ Peterson's three gave the Keydets a 51-33 lead with 14:24 remaining.  The VMI lead stood at 58-44 with 9:32 to play after Trey Chapman's triple before Campbell answered with a decisive 19-4 run.

D.J. Mason led five Camels in double figures with 16 points, plus 13 rebounds for his second-straight double-double.  Sophomore Shane Whitfield added a career-best 13 points and six boards, while Kyre' Hamer and Troy Harper chipped in 12 points apiece.  Clemons, who entered the game as the Big South's fourth-leading scorer at better than 16 points per game, finished with 10 points, but his two triples in the final 46 seconds provided the difference.

VMI (2-3) went the final 5:00 without a field goal and Shane Whitfield's tip-in pulled CU within 62-60 with 1:27 to play.  After Julian Eleby was called for traveling in the lane, Clemons' deep 3 with 46 seconds left gave the Camels their first lead (63-62) since the 17:24 mark of the opening period. 

QJ Peterson made two free throws to put the Keydets back in front 64-63 with 32.9 seconds to play.  D.J. Mason missed underneath and Phillip Anglade was fouled on the rebound.  Anglade made the front end of the one-and-one, but missed the second.  Clemons then dribbled to the top of the key and his shot hit nothing but the bottom of the net.

The two-time Big South freshman of the week from Raleigh's Millbrook High School has scored in double figures in each of his first six collegiate games.

Peterson's desperation half-court attempt and the final buzzer hit the top of the backboard and the Camels completed their third-straight rally from at least an eight-point deficit to win in a week's time. 

CU trailed by eight at SIU-Edwardsville last Tuesday before claiming a 77-74 win.  On Saturday, Coastal Carolina led by 10 in the second half before the Camels recovered for a 79-73 victory over the two-time defending Big South champs.

Peterson led VMI with 20 points, while Eleby added 18.  Chapman had 10 points and 11 rebounds for the Keydets, who shot just 35.5 percent (11-31) in the second half.

Monday's comeback was Campbell's largest since Feb. 28, 1983, the Coach Danny Roberts' Camels trailed by 23 (55-32) at Brooklyn College with 13:21 to play.  CU outscored the Kingsmen 18-3 over the final 5:00 to force overtime, where they won 80-74.

Campbell knocked down 12-of-14 free throws (.857) in the second half.  On the night, the Camels made eight more foul shots (21-31) than VMI attempted (8-13).  After missing their first eight attempts from long range, the Camels finished 5-of-18 from 3-point distance, 4-of-9 in the final period.

Overall, Campbell shot just 34.5 percent from the field, but hit 42 percent in the second half.  However, the Camels committed only five turnovers to tie the Gore Arena record, and finished with a 13-3 edge in points off miscues.

VMI shot 41.7 percent from the floor, made 7-of-20 threes and held a slim 42-40 edge on the boards, but dropped its fourth-straight decision on Campbell's home court.  The teams were Big South rivals from 2011-14 before VMI returned to the Southern Conference.

Campbell endured a 0-for-13 stretch from the floor in the opening half and VMI built a 35-24 lead at the break.  The Camels shot just 26 percent (7-27) from the field and 1-of-9 from 3-point range, plus 9-of-17 from the line before intermission.

D.J. Mason scored eight first-half points and Troy Harper added seven for the Camels, including 5-of-6 from the line, in the opening period.

VMI, meanwhile connected on 4-of-9 threes and shot 48 percent (14-29) from the field.  Julian Eleby had 12 first-half points for the Keydets, while Trey Chapman added seven, plus nine rebounds.

A 17-6 run capped by Austin Vereen's left corner three gave VMI its largest lead (30-16) of the first period.  Harper's free throws with 6.4 seconds to play cut the deficit to 11.

After an eight-day break from competition for final exams, Campbell returns to action Dec. 9 at Charlotte.