Smith’s 26 lead Campbell over Hampton 86-72

By Canadian Press on January 8, 2026.

BUIES CREEK, N.C. (AP) — DJ Smith scored 26 points as Campbell beat Hampton 86-72 on Thursday night.

Smith shot 6 for 17 (2 for 9 from 3-point range) and 12 of 13 from the free-throw line for the Fighting Camels (9-8, 3-1 Coastal Athletic Association). Jeremiah Johnson scored 18 points while going 2 of 11 from the floor, including 1 for 4 from 3-point range, and 13 for 14 from the foul line. Cameron Gregory had 17 points and went 6 of 9 from the field (5 for 7 from 3-point range).

The Camels made 10 3-pointers and hit 32 of 38 (84%) from the free-throw line.

The Pirates (8-9, 2-2) were led in scoring by Michael Eley, who finished with 43 points, eight rebounds and three steals. Hampton also got eight points and nine rebounds from Xzavier Long. Christian Watson also had seven points.

Campbell took the lead for good less than three minutes into the game and the score was 43-30 at halftime, with Johnson racking up 11 points. Smith scored 16 points in the second half to help lead the way as Campbell went on to secure a victory, outscoring Hampton by one point in the second half.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

The Associated Press