Saturday, Jan. 31, William and Mary men’s basketball (14-8, 5-5 CAA) fell to the Campbell Camels (10-13, 4-6 CAA) 104-96 at Kaplan Arena in Williamsburg, Va.
Coming off a tight 79-76 away defeat against Elon Thursday night, the Tribe looked to bounce back against the Camels during its annual Gold Rush game. Campbell lost its previous five games in Coastal Athletic Association play.
The Camels, however, had other plans, leading by 25 points in the first half alone. Campbell graduate student guard D.J. Smith — the CAA’s leading scorer — set the tone, racking up 12 of his season-high 39 points within the first 12 minutes of play.
Tribe head coach Brian Earl complimented Smith’s performance.
“He’s a shotmaker, he’s very quick, he can shoot them from deep,” Earl said.
The Camels markedly outperformed their season averages in the first half, shooting 54.3% from the field and 43.8% from the three compared to 45.5% and 32.7% on the season.
The Tribe, averaging only 10.9 turnovers per game during CAA play, managed eight in the first half alone. This led to a 35-22 shot discrepancy, and the Camels recorded a 17-point lead at the half.
It was not just the turnovers that marked an atypical first 20 minutes, however. The Tribe only attempted two first-half three-pointers — a far cry from the over 27 they previously shot per game.
Earl pinpointed Campbell’s physicality as key to his team’s poor first half.
“They were up in us,” Earl said. “We sort of decided to make it one-on-one, which happens when people are in your space.”
At the start of the second half, the Camels failed to keep the floodgates closed for long. With a 25-3 run spanning over seven minutes, the Green and Gold trimmed a 22-point deficit to just two.
“In the second half, I thought we started cutting, and all of a sudden, we’re in the double bonus with 15 to play,” Earl said.
The Tribe earned itself 23 second-half free throws. The home crowd waved off three Campbell players after the visitors picked up their fifth foul.
After junior guard Reese Miller put the Tribe within two points at 75-73, Smith converted a three-point play, regaining momentum with six minutes, 47 seconds on the clock. With two crucial layups, junior forward Chris Fields Jr. sealed the game for the Camels, handing the Tribe its first home loss of the season.
Despite the defeat, the home team’s second-half performance gave Earl confidence about its upcoming visit to Campbell.
“I think we finally figured out the formula a little bit,” he said. “We started cutting, and then that opened up a few more three-pointers.”
After back-to-back losses and three consecutive road games on the horizon, Earl and his team find themselves at a key juncture.
Thursday, Feb. 5, the Tribe looks to turn around its 0-4 away record against North Carolina Wilmington at Trask Coliseum in Wilmington, N.C.
