GREENSBORO, N.C. (Interstat) — Jeremiah Johnson scored 24 points and Dovydas Butka added a double-double to lead Campbell to a 79-71 victory over North Carolina A&T in a Colonial Athletic Association men’s basketball game Saturday at Corbett Sports Center.

The Fightin’ Camels (12-13, 6-6 CAA) never trailed after the opening minute, using a decisive first-half run to build a cushion they maintained for the duration. The Aggies (9-14, 4-8) cut a 14-point deficit to four in the final minutes but could not complete the comeback.

Johnson, a 6-foot-4 guard from Del City, Oklahoma, played 39 minutes and added eight rebounds and four assists to his game-high scoring output. Butka, a 6-9 forward from Lithuania, was a force inside with 17 points and 10 rebounds in 33 minutes. DJ Smith contributed 14 points for Campbell.

North Carolina A&T was led by Lewis Walker’s 17 points and a strong bench performance from Will Felton, who scored 15 points and grabbed six rebounds in just 18 minutes. Zamoku Weluche-Ume added nine points and six rebounds for the Aggies.

The most important stretch of the game came midway through the first half with Campbell holding a narrow 12-10 lead. The Fightin’ Camels erupted on a 13-2 run over a three-minute span to seize control. The surge was fueled by perimeter shooting and defensive stops. It started with a 3-pointer from Smith, assisted by Johnson, and was capped by another 3-pointer from Tasos Cook, also set up by Johnson. That burst gave Campbell a 25-12 advantage with 13:14 left in the half, and the Aggies spent the rest of the game trying to claw back from that deficit.

Campbell took a 40-36 lead into halftime and opened the second period with a 7-3 spurt to push the lead back to eight. The Aggies consistently threatened but could not string together enough stops to overtake the visitors. A key sequence came with just over six minutes remaining when Campbell’s defense, which forced 12 turnovers, came up with a critical stop. With the lead at 59-57, Butka stole the ball from Walker, leading to a Johnson 3-pointer on the other end that pushed the margin back to five points.

North Carolina A&T made its final push in the last two minutes. Trailing 71-65, the Aggies got a driving layup from Brooklyn Vick and, after a Campbell turnover, a pull-up jumper from Walker to cut the deficit to 71-69 with 1:30 to play. Campbell responded by working the clock, and Johnson was fouled, making one of two free throws. After an Aggies miss, Johnson sealed the game with a dunk off a feed from Cam Gregory with 33 seconds left, making it 74-69 and effectively ending the contest.

Statistically, the game was a contrast in styles. Campbell won with superior efficiency from beyond the arc and the free-throw line. The Fightin’ Camels shot 8 for 18 from 3-point range, while the Aggies managed just 3 for 10. At the foul line, Campbell converted 19 of 26 attempts, whereas North Carolina A&T went 12 for 21.

North Carolina A&T won several other categories, outscoring Campbell 40-34 in the paint, recording 10 assists to Campbell’s four, and forcing 12 turnovers while committing only nine. The Aggies also had a 10-7 edge in offensive rebounds. However, Campbell’s 23-12 advantage in fast-break points and its higher offensive rating proved decisive.

The game, played before a crowd of 1,411, improved Campbell to a .500 record in conference play. North Carolina A&T has now lost three of its last four games.

Campbell next hosts College of Charleston on Feb. 14. North Carolina A&T travels to face Hampton on Feb. 13 in a game to be played in Inglewood, California. The two teams are scheduled to meet again in Buies Creek, North Carolina, on March 3.