Preview: Northeastern Huskies at Campbell Fightin’ Camels

LILLINGTON, N.C. (Interstat) — Two teams looking to build momentum at the start of the new year meet Saturday when the Campbell Fightin’ Camels host the Northeastern Huskies in a nonconference men’s basketball game.

The matchup, organized by the Colonial Athletic Association, will tip off at 2 p.m. EST at the John W. Pope, Jr. Convocation Center.

Campbell (7-8) enters on a positive note after a 68-65 road victory at Monmouth on Wednesday. The Fightin’ Camels have shown resilience, alternating wins and losses over their past six games. Their success often hinges on the performance of forward Dovydas Butka, who is coming off a 14-point, 14-rebound double-double against Monmouth. Butka has been a consistent force, averaging a double-double over his last three contests.

Northeastern (5-8) also snapped a three-game skid with an 85-74 win at North Carolina A&T on Wednesday. The Huskies’ offense was fueled by a career-high 22 points from sophomore guard William Kermoury in just 23 minutes off the bench. Kermoury has provided a major spark recently, averaging 21 points over his last two games and will be a key player to watch for the visiting Huskies.

Both teams have faced challenging early schedules. Campbell’s losses include defeats to power conference opponents Gonzaga, Minnesota and Wake Forest, while Northeastern has fallen to Syracuse, Wake Forest and Princeton.

This game represents an opportunity for both squads to move above the .500 mark in overall winning percentage. Campbell will aim to protect its home court, where it is 4-2 this season, including a dominant 149-62 victory over Virginia-Lynchburg earlier this month. Northeastern seeks its first true road win outside of Wednesday’s victory, having previously gone 0-7 in away games.

Following this contest, both teams dive into their respective conference slates next week. Campbell opens Coastal Athletic Association play at home against Hampton on Jan. 8, while Northeastern begins its CAA schedule at home against UNC Wilmington the same day.