Clemons leads Camels into Big South semifinals

by Al Myatt | Mar 8, 2019 | Campbell, News & Features

Chris Clemons had 34 points in Campbell’s quarterfinal win.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/Paul Burgett)

BUIES CREEK — Chris Clemons scored 34 points, Andrew Eudy added 21, plus 14 rebounds, and Campbell defeated Hampton 86-77 on Thursday night in the quarterfinal round of the Big South Conference Tournament at Gore Arena.

Jordan Whitfield added a career-high 13 points and four assists in his first start of the year for the Camels (20-11), who will meet fourth seeded Gardner-Webb on Friday at 8:30 p.m.

Second-seeded Radford will take on sixth seed Charleston Southern in Friday’s 6 p.m. semifinal. The Highlanders (21-10) defeated Presbyterian 84-76 in Thursday’s first quarterfinal, while Charleston Southern (17-14) eliminated third seed Winthrop, 77-63.

In a game where the lead changed 14 times and the score was tied on four occasions, the Camels outscored the eighth-seeded Pirates (15-16) 16-8 over the last 5:08 to reach the conference semifinal round for the second time in three years.

The nation’s leading scorer (30.3) and Big South player of the year, Clemons had 20 points in the second half. On the night, he finished 17-of-19 from the line, grabbed seven rebounds and only made one turnover while playing all 40 minutes.

Eudy was 8-of-11 from the floor, 4-of-4 from the line and dealt three assists with no turnovers in 39 minutes. Whitfield, who started in place of Ja’Cor Nelson, who was out with an illness, dished four assists while finishing 5-of-10 from the field.

Campbell extended its win streak to a season-best five games by committing only five turnovers – just two in the second half – and out-rebounding the taller Pirates 36-31. CU shot 42.6 percent (26-21) from the floor, made 10-of-29 threes (.345) and hit six more free throws (24-27) than Hampton attempted (17-18).

The Pirates finished 26-of-58 (.448) from the floor, 8-of-22 (.364) from the arc and made just six turnovers.

Jermaine Marrow, who entered as the nation’s sixth-leading scorer (25.4), led Hampton with 22 points on 7-of-20 shooting. Greg Heckstall added 16 points and 12 rebounds, while Kalin Fisher and Akim Mitchell contributed 10 points apiece.

Campbell made its first five shots and jumped to an 18-8 lead on Clemons’ free throws with 13:48 left in the opening period. However, Hampton responded with a 10-0 run. The Camels led by as many as 10 in the opening half before taking a six-point lead (43-37) into the dressing room.

Clemons (3,170) moved into fourth place on the NCAA Division I all-time scoring list past Creighton’s Doug McDermott (3,150 from 2010-14) and Alphonso Ford of Mississippi Valley State (3,165 from 1989-93). He also broke the Big South single-season scoring record (928 by VMI’s Reggie Williams in 2006-07) and enters Friday’s semifinal round with 938 points in 31 games.

In addition, Clemons (437) moved by Keydren Clark of St. Peter’s (435 from 2002-06) into fifth place on the Division I all-time 3-point field goals made chart.

Campbell secured its first 20-win season since 1993-94 in front of 2,948 fans – the ninth-largest crowd in the 3,095-seat Gore Arena’s history.

Under the direction of Big South Coach of the Year, Kevin McGeehan, and led by Clemons, the league Player of the Year, the Camels have won 57 games over the past three seasons — the most in a three-year span since Campbell joined NCAA Division I in 1977-78.

Clemons has scored in double figures in 113 straight games, the longest active streak among all Division I players and second all-time behind Lionel Simmons of La Salle (115 from 1987-90). Clemons has 14 games of 30-plus points this year, including a season-high 48 vs. Hampton on Feb. 13. He scored more than 40 points against UNC Wilmington (44), Georgetown (45) and Longwood (41).

(Campbell media services provided the basis for this report)