The Campbell basketball team isn’t just a sideshow for Chris Clemons’ assault on the NCAA record book. The Camels are also champions.
Jordan Whitfield’s two free throws with 4.6 seconds remaining, along with a defensive stop on the final possession Saturday, gave Campbell a 64-62 win against Radford and the regular season championship of the Big South Conference.
Clemons did his part in the Senior Day victory before a Gore Arena-record crowd of 3,351 by hitting for 30 points to move into sixth place on the all-time Division I scoring list. He now has 3,136 career points, just 14 shy of Creighton’s Doug McDermott for fifth place.
More important, the senior guard and his teammates will now have the opportunity to pursue their school’s first NCAA tournament bid since 1992 at home. Campbell (19-11) earned the right earned the right to host this week’s Big South tournament by virtue of its regular season conference title.
Coach Kevin McGeehan’s top-seeded team will receive a first round bye and begin its tournament run against either Hampton or Longwood in a quarterfinal game at 6 p.m. on Thursday. The semifinals are set for Friday with the nationally televised championship game to be played Sunday afternoon.
Even if the Camels don’t win the tournament and earn the Big South’s automatic NCAA bid, their regular season title guarantees them a spot in the NIT.
Here is the full Big South tournament schedule (with first round games held at campus sites):
FIRST ROUND
Tuesday, March 5 (ESPN3)
No. 10 UNC Asheville at No. 7 Presbyterian, 7:00 pm
No. 11 USC Upstate at No. 6 Charleston Southern, 7:00 pm
No. 9 Longwood at No. 8 Hampton, 7:00 pm
QUARTERFINALS
Thursday, March 7 (ESPN3)
at Campbell
No. 2 Radford vs. 7/10 Winner, 12:00 pm
No. 3 Winthrop vs. 6/11 Winner, 2:00 pm
No. 1 Campbell vs. 8/9 Winner, 6:00 pm
No. 4 Gardner-Webb vs. No. 5 High Point, 8:00 pm
SEMIFINALS
Friday, March 8 (ESPN+)
at Campbell
6:00 pm and 8:00 pm
CHAMPIONSHIP
Sunday, March 10 (ESPN)
at highest remaining seed
1:00 pm
