BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Riding a 4-game win streak, Campbell (6-1) travels to Atlantic 10 member VCU Saturday for a 4:00 p.m. tip-off on MASN/ESPN+.
 
The Camels have won 4-straight games since suffering their only setback of the year, a 67-56 decision Nov. 13 at then 9th-ranked Duke. CU won at Marshall and Stetson while topping Maryland Eastern Shore and most recently Lancaster Bible in Buies Creek.
 
On Tuesday, the Camels defeated the Division III Chargers 83-39.  After building a 15-point halftime lead, CU outscored the visitors 46-17 following intermission.  Ricky Clemons and Jesus Carralero led CU with 14 points each, while Messiah Thompson (12) and Laurynas Vaistaras (10) also reached double figures.
 
Campbell has held all 7 of its opponents below 70 points and ranks first in the Big South, 20th in the nation, in scoring defense (57.3).  CU leads the BSC in FG% defense (.383).
 
Clemons (12.4) and Cedric Henderson, Jr. (12.1) lead a balanced Campbell offense followed by Jordan Whitfield (10.0), Carralero (9.9) and Thompson (9.3).
 
VCU (3-4) went 1-2 over Thanksgiving weekend in the Battle 4 Atlantis.  The Rams opened with a 67-55 win over Syracuse before falling to No. 6 Baylor (61-69) and in OT to No. 22 UConn (63-70). 
 
The Rams are 2nd nationally in FG% defense (.333), 8th in blocks (6.7).
 
Vince Williams leads the Rams in scoring (11.3), while Jayden Nunn is averaging 9.3 points per game.  VCU also has owns a win at Power 5 conference member Vanderbilt (48-37).
 

• The Camels enter Saturday's contest ranked 13th in the nation in fouls committed per game (13.1), 18th in fewest turnovers per game (10.0) and 24th in assist-turnover ratio (1.54).
• Campbell is ranked No. 10 in this week's Major Madness Small Conference national poll.
• Three of Campbell's six wins have come by a total of five points.  CU defeated defending America East champ Hartford (68-67), Conference USA member Marshall (67-65) and ASUN member Stetson (60-58) all in one possession games away from Gore Arena.
• With 6 wins in its first 7 games, Campbell is off to its best start since the 2011-12 squad opened 8-1.
• Following Saturday's game, the Camels return to action Tuesday when they host Columbia International at 7 p.m.

 
CAMPBELL-VCU NOTES

• Campbell's coaching staff has deep ties to the City of Richmond.  Head coach Kevin McGeehan spent eight years (2005-13) on Chris Mooney's staff - five as associate head coach - at the University of Richmond.  Associate head coach Peter Thomas played for the Spiders from 2003-07 and was Richmond's director of basketball operations from 2008-13.  He was McGeehan's first hire when he took over the Camel program in April 2013.  Assistant coach Kevin Smith played at UR from 2007-11 where he was named to the A-10 all-defensive team.  He began his career as director of basketball operations at the alma mater from 2013-15 before joining the Campbell staff.
• VCU sold out 166-straight games at the 7,637-seat Siegel Center from Jan. 29, 2011 through the 2021 season.  The streak came to an end when the Rams drew 7,017 for their season opener vs. St. Peter's.  VCU is averaging 7,210 fans through three home dates.
• Saturday's game marks VCU's only scheduled contest against a Big South Conference school this season.  VCU faced a Big South member when it opened the 2018-19 season with wins over Gardner-Webb (69-57) and Hampton (69-57).
• Campbell stands 0-2 vs. Atlantic 10 members in nine seasons under head coach Kevin McGeehan.  The Camels fell at Davidson (81-56) on Nov. 18, 2014 and Dec. 19, 2017 at Saint Louis (74-66).
• Saturday's meeting is the first between the Camels and Rams since Dec. 1978, Campbell's second year as a Division I member.  VCU owns a 2-0 lead in the all-time series.
• While Campbell and VCU have not met in men's hoops in nearly 43 years, the Camels and Rams split a pair of games last June in the NCAA Baseball Starkville Regional.
• Located in Richmond, Va., Virginia Commonwealth University was founded in 1838 and now enrolls 32,000 students, 85 percent of which hail from Virginia.
• Former VCU standout Gerald Henderson played 13 seasons in the NBA from 1979-92 and won titles in '81 and '84 with the Boston Celtics and '90 with the Detroit Pistons.
• VCU alumni include 1980 Noble Prize for medicine winner Baruj Benacerrat, physician, social activist and comedian Hunter "Patch" Adams, Novelists David Baldacci and Tom Robbins, actor Stephen Furst, best known as "Flounder" in Animal House, Saturday Night Live cast member (2010-16) Jay Pharoah and Stefan Lessard, bassist for the Dave Matthews Band