Lady Camels in Big South final

by Dunn Area Sports Staff | Mar 12, 2021 | Campbell, News & Features

Tatyana Carver scores off a steal for the Lady Camels against Longwood.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/Paul Burgett)

BUIES CREEK – The Campbell women’s basketball team held the top-ranked offensive team in the Big South Conference to its lowest point total all season, earning a 54-39 win over Longwood in the Big South Conference tournament semifinals Thursday night at Gore Arena.

Second-seeded Campbell (16-6) advances to its second Big South title game in the past three seasons and will visit top-seeded High Point (21-6) on Sunday at 2 p.m. (ESPN+).

Lauren McNamara-Clement totaled 12 points, nine rebounds and set a new home record with seven blocks. Shy Tuelle added a double-double behind 12 points and 11 rebounds while Luana Serranho chipped in 10 points, four boards and four assists.

Akila Smith led the Lancers with 14 points, seven rebounds and six blocks while Big South leading scorer Kyla McMakin was held to just nine points on 4-of-19 shooting.

Longwood’s offense put up only 12 points in the first half as the Lancers shot 6-of-22 from the field and coughed up 13 turnovers.

Campbell led by nine (21-12) at halftime and extended its lead to as many as 18 on a fast break layup by Tatyana Carver with 5:18 remaining in the third quarter. The Lancers responded by closing out the quarter on a 13-4 run, trimming the Camels lead (39-30) to single digits.

CU pushed its lead back to double-figures in the fourth quarter while holding Lancers to 4-of-15 shooting to close out the game.

Longwood’s 12 points in the first half rank tied for the second fewest in a half in Big South Championship history.

The Lancers’ 39 total points set a new Big South tournament record for fewest points in a semifinal game.

McNamara-Clement’s seven blocks tied a Big South Tournament record for most in a game. McNamara-Clement also became the third player in program history to surpass 100 blocks, totaling 101 in her career.

Campbell closes out its season with a 9-3 record at home, bringing its home record to 21-5 over the past two seasons.

(Campbell media services provided the basis for this report)