CLINTON, S.C.  –Behind four double-figure scorers and a balanced offensive attack, the Presbyterian Blue Hose (5-9, Big South: 1-0) defeated the Campbell Camels (5-8, Big South: 0-1), 82-72, in their Big South Conference opener at the Templeton Center.
 
Crosby James scored 23 points while connecting on four three-point field goals. Jalen Forrest scored 16 points off the bench. Owen McCormack scored 14 points. Marquis Barnett collected his first career double-double with 11 points and a career-high 12 rebounds.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST HALF – Behind consecutive baskets from Barnett, the Blue Hose scored the game's first four points. PC maintained the lead until Campbell tied the score at eight with 12:52 on the clock. The two teams exchanged baskets for several minutes until a three from James pushed the Blue Hose back in front, 15-12, with 9:24 on the clock. Campbell tied the score at 16 with 7:23 on the clock. The Blue Hose would close the half on a 21-10 run taking a 37-26 halftime lead. McCormack, Forrest, and Kobe Stewart, who scored eight points in the game, scored during the Blue Hose's run.
 
SECOND HALF – Campbell scored six of the first eight points of the half cutting Presbyterian's lead to 39-32 two minutes into the half. James connected on a pull-up jumper in the lane pushing the Blue Hose lead back to nine points, 41-32. The two teams exchanged baskets until a three from the wing by Barnett gave the Blue Hose a 46-36 lead with 16:12 on the clock. With 15 minutes left in the game, Presbyterian had a 10-point lead, 48-38, Campbell scored five straight points cutting the Blue Hose lead to 49-44 with 13:38 on the clock. James stopped the Camels' run with a three from the wing. Presbyterian maintained a lead of 8-12 points for the next five minutes. Another three from James gave the Blue Hose their largest lead of the second half, 65-52, with 8:39 on the clock. Campbell would cut Presbyterian's lead to six points three times over the final eight minutes of the game. With 35 seconds on the clock, Campbell had cut Presbyterian's lead to 78-72, however, that would be as close as Campbell would get as timely free throw shooting by McCormack and James closed out Presbyterian's win.
 

NOTES

• Presbyterian's win over Campbell marked the first time since the 2019-20 season that the Blue Hose have won their Big South opener. The last time PC began league play with a win was a 79-77 victory over UNC Asheville on January 2, 2020.
• The win marked Presbyterian's fourth straight home victory over Campbell.
• Barnett is the first Presbyterian player to record a double-double this season. Barnett also collected a career-high four steals.
• Forrest's season-high 16 points marked his fifth double-figure scoring game off the bench this season. Forrest was a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line.
• After scoring a game-high 23 points, James has tallied two 20-point scoring games this season. James was 4-for-6 from beyond the three-point arc.
• McCormack's 14 points marked his sixth double-figure scoring game of the season and the 27^th of his career.
• Trevon Reddish-Rhone with a solid all-around game with seven points, five rebounds, and four assists.
• Presbyterian's defense limited Campbell to 13 percent  (2-for-15) from beyond the three-point arc.

 

NEXT GAME
Presbyterian travels north to Virginia for their Big South Conference road opener at Radford on Saturday, December 31 at 2 p.m.