BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Campbell hits the road in Big South Conference play for the first time Wednesday in a 6:00 p.m. tip-off at UNC Asheville.
 
The Camels (9-5, 0-2) and Bulldogs (6-6, 0-1) both rank among the Big South's and nation's best in turnover margin.  Asheville (+7.6) is first nationally and Campbell (+4.6) is 21st.
 
After posting the league's best non-conference record, Campbell began its Big South slate against teams that were picked 2nd (Gardner-Webb) and 3rd (Winthrop) in the preseason poll.  CU dropped a 67-65 decision last Thursday to GWU before falling 87-72 Saturday to Winthrop.  The setbacks marked the first time that CU has dropped consecutive games this year.
 
Under the direction of second-year head coach Mike Morrell, Asheville won six of its first 10 games, but fell to Chattanooga (68-64) on Dec. 21 before dropping a 79-77 decision last Thursday in its league opener at Presbyterian.
 

• Campbell ranks 17th nationally in free throw percentage (.774), 20th in 3-point field goal defense (.275) and 21st in turnover margin (+4.6).
• The Camels have allowed an opponent to shoot better than 50 percent from the floor just twice this season.
• In addition to leading the country in turnover margin (+4.6), Asheville is fourth in turnovers forced (19.83), 10th in steals (9.8) and 18th in scoring offense (81.0).
• Paced by Cedric Henderson (12.5), and Cory Gensler (9.2), seven Camels are averaging at least 6.2 points per outing, while 11 are playing double-figure minutes.
• Sophomore guards Tajion Jones (16.6) and Devon Baker (16.2), along with NC State transfer Lavar Batts, Jr. (13.3) pace Asheville's offense, which ranks first in the Big South.  All five of Asheville's leading scorers, including LJ Thorpe (11.8) and Coty Jude (10.3) are members of the sophomore (or red-shirt sophomore) class.
• Wednesday's game marks the 47th all-time between Campbell and UNC Asheville, dating to the 1967-68 season when both were members of the NAIA.  CU won 5 of the 8 meetings between the schools while the Camels were members of the Atlantic Sun Conference (1994-2011), but the Bulldogs have claimed 12 of 14 since Campbell re-joined the Big South in 2011-12.
• In the only meeting between the schools last season, Chris Clemons scored 17 of his game-high 22 points in the second half and Andrew Eudy added 14 points and 12 rebounds to lead Campbell to a 70-53 win at Kimmel Arena.  The Camels used an early 15-0 run to move in front and led for the final 36:14 of the game.  CU made 11-of-25 threes and finished with a 30-4 edge in points off turnovers.  Ja'Cor Nelson matched his career high with six assists for the Camels, who had 21 dishes compared to just seven turnovers.  DeVon Baker led Asheville with 15 points.
• UNC Asheville is now 89-31 overall and 55-19 against Big South foes within the friendly confines of Kimmel Arena inside the Sherrill Center.
• In Campbell's first game against a Division I opponent at Gore Arena (and 2nd overall), Campbell defeated UNC Asheville 94-57 on Nov. 22, 2008.
• Campbell is 1-8 all-time at Kimmel Arena (1-6 vs. UNC Asheville and 0-2 in the 2012 and 2018 Big South Championships), which opened for the 2011-12 season.
• UNC Asheville alumni include former MLB infielder Ty Wigginton, who played for eight different teams from 2002-13 and was a 2010 all-star as a member of the Baltimore Orioles.  Mike Shildt, who was named 2019 National League manager of the year after guiding the St. Louis Cardinals to a playoff berth also played baseball at Asheville.
• Following Wednesday's game, the Camels head to preseason Big South favorite Radford Saturday for a 2 p.m. start.