CHARLESTON, SC – DJ Smith scored 31 points as the Camels came up just short at Charleston in an 87-83 loss.
 
Campbell drops its third in a row to end a three-game road trip, falling to 9-11, 3-4 on the year. Charleston improves to 12-8, 5-2 in the league.
 
Smith logged his sixth straight 20-point game, going for 30+ in half of those. Smith finished an efficient 11-18 shooting, 6-11 from beyond the arc. The 6'0" guard is now averaging 28 points per game over his last six, and a league-best 25.3 in CAA play.
 
Campbell knocked down five threes in the first half to help take a 35-34 lead into halftime. Smith led the way with 15 in the first half. The Camels led by seven before the Cougars scored the final six points of the half to cut into the deficit just before the horn.
 
A 14-0 Charleston run early in the second half helped the Cougars take a lead as large as with 10:56 to go. The Camels still trailed by 11 with 2:53 to go, but surged to make it a two-point game with 13 seconds left. The late run was led by DJ Smith knocking down back-to-back threes in the final 30 seconds.
 
After drawing as close as two, Charleston hit a pair of free throws with seven seconds left to push the lead back to four and prevent Campbell from a shot to tie at the buzzer.
 
Smith led the Camels in scoring, rebounding (8) and assists (6). Tasos Cook and Muneer Newton scored 15 each, with Jeremiah Johnson adding 13.
 
Campbell entered the game 11^th nationally in free throw attempts, but took a season-low 12 tonight. The Cougars found their way to the stripe and took 29, the most allowed by the Camels this season.
 
Charleston was led by Jlynn Counter's 23 points and Christian Reeves with 21. The Cougars finished shooting 56% from the floor on the evening.
 
Chris Fields Jr. made his return to the court after missing the previous seven games with an injury sustained at Minnesota on Dec. 21.
 
Campbell returns home for the first time since Jan. 8 to host Monmouth Saturday at noon inside Gore Arena.