Box Score
TALLAHASSEE, FLA. (NCCUEaglePride.com) – Ray Willis’s (Atlanta, Ga.) third double-double of the season, a stellar North Carolina Central University defense forcing 18 turnovers and 14 steals were all the Eagles needed to earn a hard-fought 78-61 win over the host Rattlers of Florida A&M University on Saturday evening inside the Al Lawson Center in Tallahassee, Fla.
NCCU and Florida A&M both started the contest throwing blows, but it was Willis who threw the hardest haymaker shooting a scorching 6-for-11 (54.5 percent) from the field including 2-for-3 from the outside to lead all scorers with 18 points in the first frame.
Through the first three minutes, FAMU took the early 11-7 lead on Amin Steven’s putback. The lead grew to 16-10 with 14:35 to go in the first half on a Reggie Lewis layup seeing the momentum on the Rattler side early on.
With the score at 23-18, the Eagles went on a 10-2 spurt that was highlighted by a Nick Chasten (Raleigh, N.C.) three-pointer that gave NCCU its first lead of the day at 28-25 with 7:19 to go.
The Eagles led the rest of the half and even added to the lead, seeing the margin spread to as high as eight points as NCCU took a 40-33 lead into the locker room.
As a team, the maroon and gray shot a ridiculous 14-for-25 (56.0 percent) from the field and took great care of the basketball with only three turnovers in the first half. NCCU also compiled six steals through the first 20 minutes with Emanuel Chapman (Raleigh, N.C.) and Dominique Sutton (Durham, N.C.) combining for five.
The second half saw the Eagles immediately stretch the margin to 12 at 45-33 after a Ebuka Anyaorah (Suwanee, Ga.) three-point play and two separate free-throws with 17:30 to go.
The Rattlers certainly weren’t going to go away without a fight cutting the deficit to five after a 7-0 spurt to make it 45-40 with 14:34 to go following Markee Teal’s lone three-pointer of the game.
NCCU would not be denied in their second straight win as the maroon and gray answered with a 13-4 run to widen to margin to 58-44 with 8:54 to go.
With 7:34 remaining a Willis jumper gave the Eagles their largest lead of the day at 64-46 and it was from that point on that NCCU cruised to the 78-61 road win over Florida A&M.
The win not only gives NCCU its second straight in the new Lawson Center, but evens the season series with Florida A&M after the Rattlers beat the Eagles 62-60 inside McDougald-McLendon Gym a little less than a month to go.
Willis finished the night with his third double-double of the year with 25 points 10 rebounds, while Sutton nearly recorded yet another double-double with 23 points 8 rebounds to go along with an NCCU career-high four assists and four steals. Sutton recorded six assists while at Kansas State on Dec. 11, 2008 against Southern Miss.
For Florida A&M, Stevens finished with his sixth double-double of the season with 15 points and 11 rebounds, but he certainly had to earn it shooting 5-for-10 from the field and committing three turnovers in the loss. Fellow post player Yannick Crowder led the Rattlers with 17 points and seven rebounds despite the loss.
FAMU (6-17, 4-5 MEAC) was just 3-of-17 (17.6 percent) from three-point range.
Chapman ended the night with a career high five steals as the Eagles recorded the third-most steals in a contest with 14 forcing FAMU into 18 turnovers in which the maroon and gray converted into 17 points.
The 10 turnovers for NCCU was the second lowest total of the season as the Eagles recorded nine against Barber Scotia (Nov. 26) and Stephen F. Austin (Dec. 21).
NCCU (11-11 overall, 5-4 MEAC) travel to Daytona Beach, Fla. to take on defending regular season champion, Bethune-Cookman University at 7:30 p.m. from Moore Gymnasium. With B-CU’s 92-79 win over North Carolina A&T on Saturday afternoon, the Wildcats sit in a tie for second place in the MEAC at 7-2, setting up a crucial matchup on Monday night.
Stay up-to-date with North Carolina Central University Athletics by flying over to
www.NCCUEaglePride.com, the official website of NCCU Athletics.
