BUIES CREEK, N.C. -- Campbell jumped out to a 19-4 lead and maintained a double-digit advantage for the remainder of a 59-48 win by the Fighting Camels over the Navy men's basketball team, Monday night at Gore Arena in Buies Creek, N.C.

The game was the season opener for both teams.  Navy saw its three-game winning streak in season openers come to an end while Campbell won its sixth-straight season opener and its first home game in a season for the 18th year in a row.

Navy's starting five included four players -- junior Mitch Fischer and Lysander Rehnstron, sophomore Mike Woods and freshman Jinwoo Kim -- who had never started a game for the Mids.  Additionally, Kim was one of five players who took to the court in their first collegiate game.

"We played like a young basketball team in its first game on the road," said Navy head coach Ed DeChellis.  "We didn't play very well offensively; we didn't shoot the ball very well.  Early in the game we gave them too many layups.  They put the ball on the rim; we just didn't guard them the way we needed to.  Offensively, we couldn't make a shot or get anything going.  It was challenging.  Our freshmen, unfortunately, in their first time on the floor, first time on the road, we didn't play as well as we possibly can play.  I have seen us play better. 

"We will get better as the year goes on.  This was disappointing offensively; really hard to win with scoring 48 points.  But on the other end, we gave up 59 which is not a horrible number."

The Camels shot 54.9 percent (12-22) from the field in the first half, which included a 10-15 effort (66.7%) in two-point attempts, to build a 32-18 lead at halftime.  Conversely, Navy shot 28.6 percent (8-28) from the floor before intermission.  The Camels also were 6-6 from the foul line while the Mids were 1-3.

Navy chipped away at the deficit at the start of the second half and drew to within 10 points at 37-27 following a basket and made free throw by Donovan Draper with 14:44 still to play.  The Mids forced a steal to end the next Campbell possession, but then had a turnover of their own on the resulting opportunity.  Campbell scored on each of its next four possessions to build a 44-30 lead on its way to taking a 50-37 lead with eight minutes left on the clock.

It again was a 10-point lead at 55-45 with just over two minutes remaining, but Navy could not cut into the deficit after that.

Campbell made 52.5 percent of its shots in the game and was 15-22 from the charity stripe.  Navy shot 33.9 percent from the floor and was just 6-9 from the free throw line.

"We were so rushed," said DeChellis of the offense.  "We played rushed basketball offensively, guys trying to do some things they are not able to do. We have to use each other better, we have to screen better, have better ball movement and so forth.  We weren't getting our gold medal shots as we like to call them, but we had a lot of shots around the basket that we missed, just rolling in and out.  We were hurried to try and get it up there instead of taking out time, be balanced and use the glass.  That was the disappointing part."

The Camels led, 34-27, on the glass, though Navy scored more second-chance points, 8-2.

Senior team captain Austin Inge led Navy with eight points while Fisher set career single-game highs with six rebounds and five points.

Navy will open its home slate Friday night when it faces Temple in the second game of the Veterans Classic in Alumni Hall.  The 10th edition of the event begins at 6 p.m. when Duquesne faces the College of Charleston.