Game #149 of 364 41% complete
The nickname of Campbell’s sports programs is the “Fighting Camels.” While camels are often thought of as peace-loving animals, the school’s founder, Dr. J. A. Campbell, admired them for their endurance and toughness in thriving under harsh desert conditions. In the 1920s, he felt these traits symbolized the resilience of the school’s athletes, which led to the adoption of the name.
I missed the opening tap while watching a couple of recruits being led to their seats. Although this may be common at Bible Belt schools, it was the first time I had heard a prayer offered before the national anthem. As a note of trivia, the famous baseball stars and brothers, Gaylord and Jim Perry, both graduated from Campbell.
Dovydas Butka led the way for the Fighting Camels with 22 points and 10 rebounds. The 6’9″ forward from Lithuania continued the trend of overseas players making significant contributions to their team’s success. It raises the question of how recent, more restrictive immigration policies may affect these athletes in the future.
I now present you with more camel pictures.
I read that the university is quite proud of its unique mascot—and rightfully so.
I was very impressed with Campbell’s point guard, DJ Smith. With the score tied at halftime, Smith poured in 17 points in the second half to break the game open. The 5’1″, 155-pound guard played for three teams—Little Rock, Robert Morris, and Bowling Green—while searching for a home before finally settling at Campbell.
Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus also stopped by for a visit. I was tempted to sit on their lap and wish for a warm North Carolina day.
Campbell remained unbeaten at home, pulling away from the Ball State Cardinals in the final minutes of the game.
I committed heresy for a UConn fan by eating lunch at the Duke University Golf Club and enjoying a fine steak. I wanted to take a picture of Cameron Indoor Stadium, but parking was a long walk away, and it was simply too cold to make the effort worthwhile.
That evening, I visited Durham Bulls Athletic Park for a Christmas light show. While I was disappointed with the food options, the entire stadium was beautifully adorned with lights. Had it not been for the 15-degree weather and gusty winds, I would have stayed longer than my brief 20-minute visit.
Back to snowbound Connecticut. Happy holidays to all my college basketball junkies—see you in January!
journey to 351 