BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Campbell closes out its pre-exam slate Wednesday when the Camels head to Missouri Valley Conference member Evansville for a 7:00 p.m. (CST) tip-off at the Ford Center on ESPN+.
 
The Camels (4-4) are coming off a 79-69 loss Friday at East Carolina.  CU battled back from a 22-point deficit to cut the gap to a two-possession game but could not complete its comeback.  Joshua Lusane led CU with 16 points, plus 4 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks, while Anthony Dell'Orso (14) and Juan Reyna (11) combined for 25 points off the bench.  Jay Pal added CU's first double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
 
Evansville (2-8) has dropped its last 3 outings and 8 of its last 9, including MVC setbacks last week against Southern Illinois (53-80) and most recently Saturday at Northern Iowa (55-72).  Kenny Strawbridge led the Purple Aces with 17 points at UNI, but Evansville was unable to overcome 37 percent shooting.
 
CAMPBELL-EVANSVILLE NOTES

• Campbell stands 1-2 in true road games this year, including a 63-58 win at Appalachian State and a 73-67 loss at NC State.
• Evansville stands 0-2 at home this season, including a 67-61 loss to Southeast Missouri State on Dec. 16 in addition to last Wednesday's decision against Southern Illinois.
• Fifth-year senior Ricky Clemons leads the Camels - and ranks 10th in the Big South Conference - with a 13.3 scoring average.  Joshua Lusane averages 11.0 per outing, while Anthony Dell'Orso is the league's 2nd-leading freshman scorer (10.3).
• Since moving into the starting lineup 3 games ago, senior center Joshua Lusane is averaging 17.7 points and 3.3 assists while shooting 54% (21-39) from the floor.
• Red-shirt senior Kenny Strawbridge leads the Aces in scoring (16.8) and has attempted 62 more shots than any other UE player.
• Campbell last squared off against a Missouri Valley Conference member on Dec. 13, 2013 when the Camels dropped an 80-68 decision at Loyola Chicago.
• Wednesday's game marks the third all-time between the Camels and Purple Aces.  Evansville defeated the Camels at old Roberts Stadium on Dec. 17, 1994 (97-45) and Dec. 17, 2005 (83-71). 
• Former Butler and Utah State assistant David Ragland is in his first year as head coach at Evansville.  Ragland also has 2 years of head coaching experience on the junior college level, where his teams fashioned a 44-19 record.
• Evansville's 14-man roster includes 10 newcomers, including four transfers - Marvin Coleman II (UNLV), Yacine Toumi (Indian Hills CC), Kenny Strawbridge (Alabama State) and Sekou Kalle (Akron).
• Strawbridge and Campbell sophomore Juan Reyna were teammates last season at Alabama State.  Strawbridge averaged 10.5 points in 31 games, while Reyna contributed 8.7 points in 26 games for the Hornets.
• With only one starter and just four players returning from last year's squad that finished 6-24 overall, 2-16 in the Missouri Valley, Evansville was picked 12th of 12 teams in the preseason MVC poll.  The "Mo Valley" is ranked as the 12th-best conference in NCAA Division I in the latest Sagarin rating.
• Founded in 1854, the University of Evansville enrolls 2822 students and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church.  Located in southwestern Indiana, the City of Evansville has a population of 118,000 and is the third largest city in the state of Indiana behind Indianapolis and Ft. Wayne.  Evansville is only three hours from St. Louis, three hours from Indianapolis, two hours from Nashville, two hours from Louisville, and four hours from Cincinnati.
• Evansville's athletics teams were originally known as the Pioneers in the early part of the 1900s. In the 1920s, the name Aces arose after a local sportswriter wrote in a game story of the men's basketball team, "They played like Aces." The team has been known as the Aces and/or Purple Aces ever since.
• Evansville was a 5-time NCAA College Division (now Division II) national champ in men's hoops before joining NCAA Division I in 1977.  Evansville was a charter member of the Midwest Collegiate Conference (now the Horizon League) and is now in its 29th season as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference.
• Notable Evansville alumni include Academy Award winning actor Rami Malek (Mr. Robot, Bohemian Rhapsody, Night at the Museum), Naismith Hall of Fame Coach Jerry Sloan, current Colorado Rockies pitcher Kyle Freeland and former pitcher Andy Benes, the top pick in the MLB 1988 draft.
• Following Wednesday's game, the Camels are off for final exams before hosting William Peace Dec. 14 at 6 p.m.