Samford 65, Campbell 56
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Samford University basketball team used a stifling defensive performance to extend its winning streak to three-consecutive games Sunday as the Bulldogs limited the Campbell Camels to just 38.6-percent shooting from the field en route to a 65-56 non-conference victory held at the Pete Hanna Center.
Samford (6-8), which improved to 4-1 when playing at home this season, led by as many as 15 points midway through the second half, but had its lead trimmed to 60-56 by Campbell (6-7) with just 2:15 left in the game.
Following a 3-pointer from the top of the key off the hand of Troy Harper, the Camels battled back to within striking distance at the two-minute mark. Harper’s 3-pointer capped off a Campbell 14-2 run and made the game interesting down the stretch.
At 60-56, Samford’s Michael Bradley answered with a key up-and-under layup to improve to 3-for-3 from the field Sunday. The Bulldogs’ 6-foot-10 senior from Chattanooga, Tennessee, later salted the game away with a pair of free throws to make the final score, 65-56.
Bradley finished the win with 10 points and seven rebounds in 19 minutes of action. He didn’t miss a single shot Sunday as he also registered a perfect 4-of-4 performance from the free-throw line.
Samford’s Tyler Hood led the team with 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the floor, but was only 1-of-6 from beyond the arc. In a game-high 32 minutes of action, Hood added three rebounds, an assist, a steal and a blocked shot.
The Bulldogs’ Darius Jones-Gibson dropped in 12 points and tallied three rebounds, two assists and a steal. He finished 4-of-6 from the field, but only 4-of-12 from the charity stripe.
The rust from the Christmas Holidays proved to be a factor for both teams from the line. As a team, Samford only shot 12-of-28 (46.4 percent) from the free-throw line, while Campbell turned in a 48.4 mark (15-of-31).
Samford outscored the Camels, 42-18, in the paint and out-rebounded Campbell, 32-25. Additionally, the Bulldogs led all of the following statistical categories as well: points off turnovers, 15-8, second-chance points, 10-5, and fast-break points, 10-9.
Neither team shot the ball well in the first half as Samford garnered a 28-23 advantage at the half.
In the second period, the Bulldogs’ Brandon Roberts and Brandon Hayman both came off the bench to provide key sparks. Hayman scored eight quick points on 4-of-4 shooting from the field, while Roberts dropped in seven on 3-of-5 shooting from the floor. Neither player logged more than 14 minutes of action.
Sunday’s win marked Samford’s third in a row as they also defeated Presbyterian and Louisiana-Monroe immediately before Christmas. The Bulldogs also improved their all-time record to 16-5 against Campbell.
The Camels had their three-game winning streak snapped. Heading into Sunday’s contest, Campbell had been victorious in five of their last six outings.
East Carolina 71, UNCG 50
GREENVILLE, N.C. – The UNCG men’s basketball team returned from an eight-day layoff for the holiday break Sunday and suffered a 71-50 loss to East Carolina at Minges Coliseum. The Spartans will return home to Greensboro for three straight games, beginning with their final non-conference game of the year, hosting Mars Hill Dec. 31 at Fleming Gymnasium.
Sophomore guard Diante Baldwin was the lone Spartan to score in double figures in the loss. Baldwin finished the game with a career-high 19 points, six steals and three assists in 35 minutes of action as he made his first start of the season. He finished the game 7-of-11 from the field and 4-of-6 from the free throw line.
Senior guard Nicholas Paulos added nine points and eight rebounds in 39 minutes of action. Sophomore Tevon Saddler chipped in eight points and four assists while classmate Jordy Kuiper added six points on 3-of-4 shooting from the field.
East Carolina (7-6) was led by Florida State transfer Terry Whisnant, who scored 17 points and dished out six assists. Caleb White added 14 points while Michel Nzege chipped in 12 points for the Pirates.
UNCG connected on 35.0 percent (21-of-60) from the field and just 16.7 percent (4-of-24) from long range in the loss. The Spartans held a 33-30 edge on the glass, including 14 offensive rebounds, but were just 4-of-10 from the free throw line. UNCG also was called for 26 fouls on the night as its two starting post players fouled out after 41 minutes of action combined.
East Carolina finished the night shooting 57.5 percent (23-of-40) from the field, 42.9 percent (6-of-14) from 3-point land and hit 19-of-26 (73.1 percent) from the charity stripe.
The Pirates came out of the gate quickly, soring the first seven points of the game as they scored four points in the paint and White added an early 3-pointer to force a timeout. The Spartans started to settle in and narrowed the gap to three at 16-13 with 12:53 remaining. Kuiper scored four straight points and Paulos nailed a 3-pointer to slow the ECU start.
East Carolina came back and finished the half out-scoring the Spartans 29-13 over the final 12:53 of the first half. The Pirates connected on 72.7 percent (16-of-22) from the field, 75 percent (3-of-4) from 3-point land and hit 10-of-14 (71.4 percent) from the free throw line as they held a 19-point lead at the break. UNCG conversely connected on 36.7 percent (11-of-30) from the field and just 2-of-9 (22.2 percent) from long range.
The Pirates opened the second half on a 12-4 run to run their lead to 57-30 with 14:10 remaining. Whisnant and Antonio Robinson hit back-to-back 3-pointers during the early going of the half to ignite the office. The Spartans made a small run in the second half, trimming the deficit to 63-48 with 6:21 left as they posted an 18-6 run. Baldwin scored seven points in the run, including the capping 3-pointer, while Saddler added six points in the spurt.