WILMINGTON, N.C. (Interstat) — Campbell held off UNC Wilmington 54-52 in a defensive struggle Sunday at Trask Coliseum. The Fighting Camels, who never trailed in the second half, secured the Colonial Athletic Association women’s basketball win before a crowd of 790. Campbell improved to 17-9 overall, while the Seahawks fell to 6-18. Jasmine Nivar led the Fighting Camels with 13 points and eight rebounds. UNC Wilmington’s Kylah Silver posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Campbell built its lead with a decisive 24-8 advantage in points in the paint. The Seahawks’ Rori Cox scored a game-high 14 points, but a last-second three-pointer was not enough to complete a comeback.

WILMINGTON, N.C. (Interstat) — In a defensive struggle defined by grit and a decisive final minute, the Campbell women’s basketball team edged UNC Wilmington 54-52 in a Colonial Athletic Association contest Sunday at Trask Coliseum. The game, witnessed by 790 fans, was a rematch of a Jan. 27 overtime thriller won by Campbell, and this meeting proved equally tense. The Fightin’ Camels, now 17-9 overall, completed a regular-season sweep of the Seahawks, who fell to 6-18. Campbell’s victory was anchored by a dominant interior presence and clutch free-throw shooting down the stretch. The Fightin’ Camels outscored UNC Wilmington 24-8 in the paint and outrebounded the Seahawks, with center Ciara Alexander of Atlanta grabbing a game-high 11 rebounds in just 18 minutes. Campbell’s defense also generated 14 points off turnovers. The contest was a tale of contrasting halves. UNC Wilmington, fueled by early three-pointers from Kylah Silver and Rori Cox, built a 30-22 lead by halftime. The Seahawks shot effectively in the first two quarters while Campbell’s offense sputtered, managing just nine points in the opening period. The second half saw a methodical Campbell comeback. The Fightin’ Camels tightened their defense, holding UNC Wilmington to 12 points in the third quarter while chipping away at the lead. Jasmine Nivar, a 5-foot-10 guard from Apex, North Carolina, spearheaded the rally. Nivar, who finished with 13 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two blocks, hit a critical three-pointer late in the third to keep Campbell within striking distance. The fourth quarter became a possession-by-possession battle. With just over a minute remaining and the score tied, Campbell’s defense forced a critical shot-clock violation on UNC Wilmington. On the ensuing possession, Nivar drove and was fouled by McCall King with 12 seconds left. She calmly sank both free throws to put Campbell ahead 53-49. The most important sequence of the game unfolded in the final seconds. After a UNC Wilmington timeout, the Seahawks inbounded to Torin Rogers, who found McCall King for a deep three-pointer with 3 seconds remaining, cutting the deficit to 53-52. On the subsequent inbounds play, UNC Wilmington immediately fouled Campbell’s Jasmine Felton. Felton, a 5-11 guard from Elizabeth City, North Carolina, missed her second free throw intentionally, leaving UNC Wilmington with no timeouts and only a fraction of a second to attempt a full-court heave, which was unsuccessful. For Campbell, Gianni Boone of Washington, D.C., added 11 points, while Felton contributed 10 points and eight rebounds. N’na Konate of Lausanne, Switzerland, provided key minutes off the bench with seven points, four rebounds and a crucial block in the fourth quarter. UNC Wilmington was led by Rori Cox of Brooklyn, New York, who scored a game-high 14 points and added seven rebounds. Kylah Silver of Greenville, North Carolina, recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Angelina Pelayo of Louisville, Kentucky, chipped in six points, seven rebounds and two blocks. The game was a departure from the high-scoring overtime affair earlier in the season, instead highlighting both teams’ defensive intensity. Campbell’s ability to control the paint and execute in the final minute proved the difference, overcoming a poor shooting afternoon from the perimeter. Campbell, which has won three of its last four games, next travels to face Elon on Friday. UNC Wilmington, which has lost eight of its last ten, will visit Stony Brook on Friday.

WILMINGTON, N.C. (Interstat) — A surging Campbell squad looks to continue its climb in the Colonial Athletic Association standings when it visits struggling UNC Wilmington in a women’s basketball rematch Sunday at Trask Coliseum. The Fightin’ Camels (15-9, 8-3 CAA) enter on a three-game winning streak, including a 58-47 victory over Hofstra on Friday. They sit firmly in the conference’s upper tier and have won seven of their last nine. The Seahawks (5-17, 1-10), meanwhile, are mired in an eight-game losing skid. Their last win came on Jan. 11. UNC Wilmington is coming off a 10-day break following an 81-61 loss at College of Charleston on Feb. 6. Campbell won the first meeting this season, 67-61 in overtime on Jan. 27 in Buies Creek. The Fightin’ Camels have relied on defense, holding opponents to 54.8 points per game in conference play. A key player for Campbell is Jasmine Felton, who dominated the first matchup with UNC Wilmington. The versatile forward logged 41 minutes, scoring 10 points with eight rebounds, three assists and a career-high five blocks. Felton is averaging 9.2 points and 5.2 rebounds in CAA games. UNC Wilmington will counter with guard Mary Ferrito, who leads the team in scoring during conference play at 11.5 points per game. She exploded for 23 points in 40 minutes in the loss to Charleston. In the first game against Campbell, Ferrito scored 13 points. The Seahawks will need a stronger defensive effort after allowing 81 points in their last outing. Campbell has proven capable of grinding out low-possession victories, a formula that succeeded in the first matchup. Tip-off is set for Sunday afternoon. Campbell visits Elon next Friday, while UNC Wilmington begins a two-game road trip at Stony Brook.