Nov. 20, 2009
Final Stats
MIAMI, FLA. (NCCUEaglePride.com)- North Carolina Central University's Men's basketball team headed back down to Miami for its second visit in the last week, going toe-to-toe with the Golden Panthers of FIU, leading by as much as six, and cutting an 8-point deficit to one in the second half dropping a tough decision, 83-73, in it's first of three contests in regional round action of the 2KSports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer taking place at U.S. Century Bank Arena on Friday evening.
NCCU led throughout the first four minutes grabbing an 8-3 lead following a C.J. Wilkerson (Oxford, N.C.) jumper with 17:37 to go. The game went back-and-forth throughout most of the first frame, and the Eagles took a two-point advantage with 9:23 remaining when sophomore Nick Chasten (Raleigh, N.C.) got a basket plus the foul to give the visiting Eagles a 17-15 lead. For the rest of the first frame, FIU outscored NCCU 21-13 to take a 36-30 advantage into the locker room.
Both teams came out in the second half trading baskets, that saw FIU's lead stay within single digits. That's when NCCU made a little run to cut an 8-point deficit to one at 50-49 thanks in part to Wilkerson's original three-point play with 13:33 left. That was as close as the visiting Eagles would get. Over the next four minutes and 27 seconds, the host Panthers outscored the Eagles 16 to 5 to pull ahead for good.
That didn't mean that the young Eagles gave up. A Chasten layup with 5:38 remaining in the ballgame cut the double-digit deficit to six at 71-65, but FIU's Marvin Roberts hit a clutch three widening the margin to nine. NCCU was unable to get back in it dropping its third contest of the 2009-10 season, 83-73 the final from U.S. Century Bank Arena.
Leading the charge for the Eagles, junior Vincent Davis who dropped in 23 points including 5-of-6 from three-point range. The junior from Nashville, Tenn. is averaging 19.5 points in two games in Miami this season. Davis also tied a career-high with nine rebounds, tying a mark he earned in his second game ever, with nine rebounds against Kent State on Nov. 17, 2008. Junior college transfer, Wilkerson added 21 points, a new career-high for him as well.
NCCU (1-3) has a day to regroup and get back at it on Sunday evening when the Eagles take on Murray State (2-1) who cruised to a 71-43 win over Monday afternoon's opponent James Madison in the first game of the day in Miami.
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