It was 15 minutes of old times.
Camden conjured up the past with a furious second-half rally Tuesday in the first round of the South Jersey Group 2 boys' basketball tournament.
Senior guards Vinny Walls and Derrick James led the comeback as visiting Camden scored a 75-74 victory over Medford Tech.
Walls lifted five steals at the point of a full-court press, and James came alive at the offensive end in the fourth quarter for Camden (10-10).
"It was all about fight," said Walls, who scored all 23 of his points in the first three quarters. "We never gave up."
Senior forward Michael Myers scored 24 points for 13th-seeded Camden, which advanced to play in Thursday's quarterfinals.
Junior guards Lamaine Cooper (22 points) and Davonte Carey (20 points) led fourth-seeded Medford Tech (17-7).
"Our inexperience hurt us," Medford Tech coach Nick Powell said. "Turnovers were the name of the game. In the playoffs, you have to treat every possession like it's the last."
It's been a difficult year for Camden, the defending South Jersey Group 2 champion. The Panthers lost their first three games and struggled to play .500 basketball.
Camden was in more trouble in the first half against Medford Tech. The Jaguars made four three-pointers and took a 45-36 lead into the locker room.
When Medford Tech's Brandon Johnson made a layup early in the third quarter, the Jaguars' lead was 47-36.
"We were down 11, but we never quit," Wall said. "We stuck together."
Walls led a third-quarter rally, scoring 11 in the period. Myers, who was 12 for 13 from the foul line in the game, added eight points as the Panthers closed within 61-60 entering the fourth quarter.
"Walls was the difference," Powell said. "He's so experienced. He slowed them down and got them in their sets. We were never able to do that."
James took over in the fourth quarter. He was the only Camden player to make a field goal, registering six. His driving layup gave Camden a 72-71 lead with three minutes, 25 seconds to play.
"He's got unlimited potential," Camden coach Mike Stargell said of James. "We had good balance today, with Walls and Myers and James coming through at the end."
Junior guard Khaliq Sutton tied the score with a free throw for Medford Tech with 3 minutes, 10 seconds to play. Camden worked more than a minute off the clock before sophomore forward Trey Wilson grabbed an offensive rebound, drew a foul, and made a free throw to give Camden a 73-72 lead at the 1:15 mark.
After a Medford Tech miss, James made one free throw for a 74-72 lead. Cooper drove the length of the court and tied the game with a layup with 48 seconds left.
Camden held for one shot. James drove the lane and was fouled with four seconds on the clock. James made his first free throw to give Camden a 75-74 lead. He missed the second, but Medford Tech was only able to get off a desperate shot from halfcourt that was far off the mark.
"I'm proud of them," Stargell said of his players. "It's been a tough year. We played in spurts against some good teams. We were facing a good team today and our guys really dug in and fought back."
Camden 19 17 24 15 - 75
Medford Tech 22 23 16 13 - 74
C: Vinny Walls 23, Derrick James 19, Devon Devine 4, Michael Myers 24, Trey Wilson 3, Ajawon Leaming 2.
MT: Davonte Carey 20, Lamaine Cooper 22, Greg Lawson 7, Donte Martinez 2, Khaliq Sutton 7, Brandon Johnson 9, Kennedy Chukwocha 7.