BUIES CREEK - The second-seeded Fighting Camels continue postseason play in the Big South Championship semifinal round, hosting third-seeded Longwood on Thursday night on ESPN+.
HOW TO TUNE IN
LAST TIME OUT
- Campbell overcame a slow start in the Big South Championship quarterfinal round, winning 54-41 against Winthrop on Monday
- The Camels held Winthrop to 2-of-21 shooting in the second half, using a 12-0 run in the third quarter to pull away
- Four Camels finished with double-figures led by 15 points from Shy Tuelle. Luana Serranho finished with 11 while Lauren McNamara-Clement had 10 points.
- Brittany Staves carried over her strong play from the regular season with 12 points and five rebounds off the bench
- Winthrop's 2-of-21 shooting in the second half set a new Big South Championship record for fewest field goals made in a half and lowest field goal percentage at 9.5%
- The Eagles' 11 second half points tied a Big South Championship record for fewest points in a half
NOTABLES & NATIONAL RANKS
- CU is seeking its 748th win in program history on Thursday (747-564)
- Ronny Fisher is seeking his 96th win (95-52) as head coach of the Fighting Camels
- Rank No. 8 nationally and No. 1 in the Big South in scoring defense, holding foes to just 52.5 points per game
- Rank No. 17 nationally and No. 1 in the Big South in field goal percentage defense with opponents shooting 35.1%
- Rank No. 18 nationally and No. 2 in the Big South in three-point FG defense with opponents shooting 26.4% from behind the arc
- Rank No. 47 nationally and No. 1 in the Big South with 40.48 rebounds per game
- Rank No. 2 in the Big South making 6.9 three-pointers per game while shooting 32.5% from range
- Taya Bolden ranks No. 44 nationally and No. 2 in the Big South in rebounds per game, averaging 9.8
SCOUTING THE LANCERS
- Longwood finished the season as the 3rd seed in the Big South Championship after posting a 14-10 overall record and 12-6 in the Big South, advancing to the semifinal round after defeating 6th-seeded UNC Asheville on Monday night
- The Lancers are led by two All-Big South First Team members in Kyla McMakin and Akila Smith
- Smith was also named Defensive Player of the Year for the conference after averaging 3.4 blocks per game -- the third-best average in the nation
- The Lancers lead the Big South averaging 5.4 blocks per game and 77.9% shooting from the free throw line
- McMakin leads the Big South in scoring averaging 18.2 points per game, taking the 4th most field goals in the nation this season
- Akila Smith averages a double-double behind 15.8 points and 10.3 rebounds
- Tra'Dayja Smith ranks No. 17 nationally averaging a Big South-best 5.5 assists
- As one of the best offensive teams in the Big South, the Lancers ranks towards the bottom half of the league in scoring defense (69.4) and allow opponents to shoot 39.4% from the field
SERIES HISTORY (CU LEADS 20-6)
- Campbell holds a 20-6 all-time record against Longwood, including a 13-1 record at home
- During the regular season the Camels split the series against the Lancers, pulling away for a 55-54 win in the first game and falling 54-52 in the second game after a buzzer-beating shot by Kyla McMakin
- Ronny Fisher holds an 8-2 record against Longwood as head coach of the Camels
TOURNEY DEFENSE
- The Camels set several Big South Championship records in the quarterfinal round against Winthrop
- Winthrop's 2-of-21 shooting in the second half set a new Big South Championship record for fewest field goals made in a half and lowest field goal percentage at 9.5%
- Meanwhile, the Eagles' 11 second half points tied a Big South Championship record for fewest points in a half
LIMITED NUMBER OF FACULTY/STAFF & STUDENTS ALLOWED FOR BIG SOUTH TOURNEY
- Due to the impact of COVID-19, Campbell University began its 2020-21 men's and women's basketball seasons without spectators at home events. As of Mar.1, a limited number of Campbell students and faculty/staff will be allowed at indoor sporting events, including Fighting Camel men's and women's basketball games, as well as volleyball matches. All preregistered students and faculty/staff must enter through front doors of Pope Convocation Center and sit in their assigned seats. Doors will open one hour prior to start of each event. Fans will be required to wear a mask and follow social distancing protocols at all events, as dictated by Campbell University policy. Fans are also able to watch all home Campbell Basketball games and road Big South contests on ESPN+ or ESPN3.
