Jesus Carralero goes to the basket for the Camels.
(Photo/Duncan Boone)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jordan Whitfield scored a career-high 26 points to lead Campbell to a 79-70 win over New Orleans on Wednesday in the Dolphin Classic at Swisher Gym.

Ricky Clemons added a career-best 14 points and Jesús Carralero came off the bench to chip in 10 for the Camels, who improved to 3-0 to start the season for the first time since 2011-12.

Troy Green led New Orleans (1-4) with a career-high 34 points, while Derek St. Hilaire scored 10 for the Privateers, who whittled a 23-point deficit to seven.

On the strength of Tuesday night’s 80-78 win over host Jacksonville and Wednesday’s victory, the Camels earned at least a share of the tournament title heading into Thursday’s 1 p.m. tip-off against Florida National. UNO will meet JU Thursday at 5 p.m.

A senior from Raleigh Millbrook High School, Whitfield made 8-of-10 from the floor, including 3-of-3 beyond the arc, and hit all seven of his free throws to go along with career highs of six rebounds and four steals. With leading scorer Cedric Henderson, Jr., held to a season-low 9 points while battling foul trouble, Clemons, a junior from Rolesville High, hit 3-of-4 from the field and 7-of-10 from the line in his first career double-figure outing.

Campbell shot 61.5 percent (26-43) on the game and made 22-of-31 from the line, including 9-of-10 over the final 3:05.

Whitfield’s bucket provided the Camels with their largest lead (62-39) with 9:58 remaining before the Privateers used a 10-2 run to get back within striking distance. Back-to-back threes by St. Hilaire and Green brought UNO within 74-66 with 1:43 to play, but Joshua Lusane hit a pair from the stripe on the next possession.

Damion Rosser’s basket with 48 seconds remaining cut the gap to 77-70, but UNO misfired on its final two possessions.

New Orleans finished 26-of-57 (.456) from the floor, 4-of-19 from 3-point distance, and 14-of-17 from the line. Campbell converted 17 Privateer turnovers into a 22-12 edge in points off miscues.

Campbell used a 17-2 run midway and shot 60 percent in the first period to open a 41-26 halftime lead. Whitfield didn’t miss a shot (3-of-3 from the floor, 1-1 from 3 and 5-5 from the line) while scoring 12 points before the break. Clemons eclipsed his previous career high with 9 points in the opening period.

Green scored 17 of UNO’s 26 first-half points, but the Privateers committed 12 turnovers before intermission that the Camels converted into 15 points.

(Campbell media services provided the basis for this report)

Jordan Whitfield had a career-high 26 points for Campbell.
(Photo/Duncan Boone)