BUIES CREEK, N.C. --- Jerome Hill (Adel, Ga.) recorded his 10th double-double of the season to lead the way for Gardner-Webb on Monday night, as Campbell went on a 21-5 run late in the second half to pull away for a 78-59 Big South Conference victory over the Runnin' Bulldogs.
Campbell (8-14, 2-7 Big South) shot 54 percent from the floor on the night, knocking down 8-of-18 from long range while holding Gardner-Webb (13-9, 5-4 Big South) to a field goal percentage of 42 percent. The Camels won the battle on the glass by a 29-27 margin while forcing 18 Runnin' Bulldogs turnovers.
Hill paced the Runnin' Bulldogs with 16 points and 13 rebounds, moving within one rebound of tying Simon Conn's total of 629 career boards for second the program's Division I all-time list.
Adonis Burbage (Orlando, Fla.) and Jarvis Davis (Columbia, S.C.) added 12 and 10 points, respectively, while Tyler Strange (Leominster, Mass.) dished out a game-high 10 assists. Tyrell Nelson (Charlotte, N.C.) chipped in eight points.
Andrew Ryan led all scorers with 21 points for Campbell, knocking down 9-of-14 from the floor, as Reco McCarter added 18 points with a 7-for-11 night from the field. D.J. Mason and Kyre' Hamer chipped in 13 and 10 points, respectively, with Hamer also tallying nine rebounds and six assists.
Campbell opened the night on an 8-3 run, holding Gardner-Webb to two shot attempts in the first four minutes and converting four early turnovers into six points. The Runnin' Bulldogs battled back with an 11-2 surge, claiming a 14-10 advantage on a nifty look by Strange to feed Nelson for the easy lay-in with 12:18 left in the first half.
The Fighting Camels would counter with an 11-2 spurt of their own, retaking the lead at 21-16 before Burbage answered, knocking down a tough runner to trim the margin to 21-18 at the 8:36 mark. Campbell pushed the advantage to 34-25 with 13 of the next 20 points, stretching the margin to nine following a pair of freebies by Hamer with 2:11 to play.
Leading 37-30 at the break, Campbell carried the momentum into the second half with a 9-3 run, pushing the advantage to 46-33 on a trey by Ryan with 16:19 to go. Gardner-Webb fought back with a 15-10 stretch, closing the gap to 56-48 following a pair of Strange freebies at the 8:14 mark.
Campbell answered with a 21-5 surge, opening its largest lead of the night at 77-55 with 1:36 left on the clock. The Camels would close out the win from there, holding the Runnin' Bulldogs to four points in the final 90 seconds to seal the victory.
Gardner-Webb is back in action on Saturday, January 31 when the Runnin' Bulldogs host Coastal Carolina at 4:00 pm in Paul Porter Arena. The Runnin' Bulldogs won the first meeting with the Chanticleers, 82-67, on January 17 in Conway, S.C.
