BUIES CREEK, N.C. – In the first game back in North America, Stetson men's basketball traveled to North Carolina and dropped an overtime decision to Campbell, 87-85, Sunday afternoon in Gore Arena.
After an even first 10 minutes,
Cyncier Harrison sank a three, from
Alec Oglesby, at the 8:56 mark to put the Hatters up 18-15 and into a lead they would not relinquish through the end of the half. The Hatters built the advantage to 11 but carried a seven-point lead, 36-29, into the locker room for halftime.
Stetson held onto the multiple-possession advantage until the home side connected on back-to-back Jasin Sinani with the latter falling with 12:40 left to make it a three-point game, 55-52. A pair of layups put the Camels up 56-55 with over 11 minutes left.
For the final 11 minutes, neither team compiled an advantage of more than three, with Stetson going in front with 26 seconds on the clock, 78-77, after
Josh Smith made a layup. Ricky Clemons hit the first free throw of two attempts to tie the contest at 78 with
Cyncier Harrison missing a last-second corner three as time expired.
The teams traded three-pointers to open the over time, Campbell's the traditional way and Harrison the hard way, with a layup and one. CU connected on free throws down the stretch giving them a lead and Stetson could not connect on shots on the offensive end in the closing seconds, falling 87-85 in overtime.
Jalen Blackmon paced the Hatters with 21 points.
Stephan Swenson [16] Harrison [15] and
Josh Smith [14] each chipped in with double figures.
Wheza Panzo grabbed the most SU rebounds with eight, Smith collected seven. Swenson [6] and Harrison [4] were 10 of the 12 Hatter assists on 35 field goals.
The Hats will face Johnson on Tuesday in the Edmunds Center with tipoff scheduled for 7 p.m.
About Stetson University Athletics: Stetson University's Athletics Program is driven by a shared purpose. It is what inspires, motivates and binds us together. More than a task, a reason for being. THE HATTER PURPOSE is to create and provide an experience of a lifetime through teamwork and relationships to achieve excellence. This purpose is achieved through five Core Values: Communication, Integrity, Excellence, Value People and Commitment. To learn more about the HATS program and our Core Values, visit GoHatters.com/HATS (PDF).
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