Cedric Henderson Jr. dunks on Senior Day for Campbell.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/Paul Burgett)
BUIES CREEK — DeShaun Wade scored 20 points and Big South regular-season champion Longwood defeated Campbell, 60-55, on Saturday at Gore Arena.
Justin Hill added 16 points for the Lancers (23-6, 15-1), who hit 10-of-18 threes, including 7-of-9 in the second half, to extend their win streak to five games.
The Camels (15-12, 8-8 Big South) trailed by nine with 2:35 to play, however clawed back within two thanks to a 10-3 run that included a pair of Messiah Thompson threes. Thompson’s steal and feed to Cedric Henderson, Jr. for a lay-in trimmed the gap to 57-55 with 36 seconds remaining.
After D’Avian Houston made one-of-two from the line with 27.2 seconds to play, Thompson pulled up from three, but his attempt bounded off the back of the rim and Isaiah Wilkins grabbed the rebound. Hill made both ends of a 1-and-1 with 8.9 seconds left for the final margin.
Thompson came off the bench to lead Campbell with 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting (4-of-7 threes). Henderson, who along with fellow seniors Austin McCullough, Milos Stajcic and Jordan Whitfield was playing in his final home game, added 14 points, while Ricky Clemons had nine.
Wade hit 6-of-9 behind the arc for the Lancers, who will be the top seed in next week’s Big South Championship. Hill finished with nine rebounds and five assists, while Wilkins pulled down a game-high 10 boards.
Longwood shot 44 percent on the night and finished with a 37-27 edge on the boards. Campbell converted 16 Longwood turnovers into 24 points, while allowing only six on their 10 miscues.
Henderson scored eight first-half points and the Camels led 26-22 at the break. CU held Longwood to 32 percent (9-28) shooting in the opening period that included five lead changes and five ties.
Saturday’s game marked the final home contest for a quartet of Camel seniors – Cedric Henderson, Jr., Austin McCullough, Milos Stajcic and Jordan Whitfield. The group led CU to the 2021 Big South title game, 47 wins over the last 3 years and 67 victories — plus the 2019 Big South regular season crown – over the last 4 seasons.
Campbell will be seeded sixth and face 11th seed Presbyterian Wednesday in an 8 p.m. first-round matchup in the Big South Conference tournament at Bojangles Arena in Charlotte.
CU seniors. from left, Milos Stajcic, Jordan Whitfield, Cedric Henderson Jr. and Austin McCullough. (Dunn Area Sports Photo/Paul Burgett)
Austin McCullough scores on a breakaway for the Camels.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/Paul Burgett)
Jordan Whitfield scores in the final regular-season game.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/Paul Burgett)
Milos Stajcic scores in the second half at Gore Arena.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/Paul Burgett)
