GOODWELL, Okla. — Junior guard Christian Campbell did all he could Thursday night in Anchor D Arena to give the Oklahoma Panhandle State men's basketball team (3-15, 1-12 SAC) a chance versus No. 7 Langston (15-4, 10-3), but his season-high 33 points were not enough in a 73-59 defeat.
 
The Aggies started the night fast, getting the crowd into the game by scoring on three of their first four possessions – including a four-point play by Campbell – to grab an 8-2 edge.
 
A quick 12-0 run by Langston gave it a 14-8 lead, but OPSU fought back to tie it seven minutes into the contest with a six-point burst capped by a block from Mykel Lindsey that turned into a three-pointer for Aaron Williams Jr. on the other end.
 
The game of runs continued as the Lions shot ahead 21-14, but Campbell started to heat up, propelling the Aggies in front, 28-26, with 6:22 to play in the half. Campbell's scoring run was fueled in part by a transition opportunity off a steal from Williams Jr., and the Miami, Florida, native could seemingly not miss going forward.
 
Both teams battled to the end of the half, with a late triple by LU's Antonio Lewis giving the visitors a 37-36 halftime lead.
 
Campbell had scored 23 points in his 17 minutes by halftime, going 6-for-8 from the field, 8-of-8 from the free-throw line and burying all three of his three-point shots. His efforts led OPSU to a 55.0% field-goal percentage in the period, but it came on just 20 attempts as the Lions dominated the glass (21-9 rebounding advantage) and racked up 11 second-chance points themselves.
 
The Aggies began the second half with high energy and a renewed focus on the boards, and they found themselves in front by the half's first media timeout, 46-41, following buckets by Williams Jr. and a trey from Campbell.
 
No. 7 Langston seized control of the game with a 17-0 run over the next five minutes, however, and it kept Panhandle State at arm's length the rest of the way.
 
Campbell's Aggie career-high 33 points easily led all scorers in the game, and he notched a team-best five rebounds and two steals. In seven games since the New Year began, the junior is averaging 24.3 points per contest. 
 
Jacob Taitte was active with a career-high three blocks, part of six OPSU recorded on the night.
 
What's up next: With Saturday's originally scheduled game versus Central Christian postponed to Feb. 9, the Aggies next face No. 17 Nelson (16-3, 11-2) on the road Thursday, Jan. 29.