“Just wanting to win; that’s it.”
That is all junior guard Javontae Campbell needed to say when asked how he has been putting up such great numbers in the Falcon’s past three games.
Campbell is averaging just under 20 points per game (19.6) in this three-game stretch while shooting 58.8% from the field and making just one 3-pointer.
Last night, he exploded for a double-double with 26 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and two steals.
“Coach put me in positions to score when they scored,” Campbell said. “We got to stay in the game.”
Campbell was forced to step into a point guard role midway through the game after Trey Thomas went down with an injury.
“Javontae did a great job stepping up at the point guard position,” head coach Todd Simon said. “[Campbell] does an unbelievable job. He’s phenomenally tough…you can’t say enough about the competitor he is.”
Proof of Campbell’s willingness to compete is the cast still on his right hand—his shooting hand.
“I mean, it’s all good now. I’ve basically got used to it,” Campbell said “You just got to keep going and not worry about it.”
Clearly the veteran guard has become used to it, but something he, or any competitor, never wants to become used to is losing—which is what the Falcons did against Kent State.
The Orange and Brown actually outscored the Golden Flashes in the second half, 56-50, but the 41-28 deficit that was laid on BG in the first 20 minutes was too much to overcome against a seasoned and well-coached KSU squad.
“We got to string 40 whole minutes together. We can’t just come out in the second half wanting to play,” Campbell said. “We got to start from the jump.”
The Falcon guard scored 19 of his 26 points in the second half of the game, with 11 of those points coming in the last five minutes of the game.
“Really just staying calm. Just playing the game like it’s zero zero,” Campbell said. “Try to finish every shot, and just try to stay solid and get stops so we can stay in the game.”
Campbell will have to keep up that mentality when he and the Falcons take on Toledo in the second leg of this season’s Battle of I-75. It is do or die time for BG, and Campbell knows it.
“Stay locked in,” Campbell said. “We can’t lose anymore.”
That rivalry game will be on Friday, Feb. 21 at Savage Arena at 6 p.m. Falcon Media Sports Network’s Tyler Kavalecz and Arite Abrego will be on Falcon Radio for the call, with pregame beginning at 5:45 p.m.
