Feb. 28, 2009

Final Stats |  SENIOR NIGHT PHOTO GALLERY 

DURHAM, N.C. - North Carolina Central University freshman guard Jamar Briscoe poured in a season-high 37 points to lead the Eagles to an 82-64 win over Longwood University on NCCU's Senior Night on Saturday inside McLendon-McDougald Gymnasium.

The 18-point margin of victory is the largest for the Eagles in their two-year Division I era.

Briscoe shot 14-of-22 from the field and 6-for-6 from the foul line, while adding a season-best and team-high eight rebounds. It was the fifth time Briscoe surpassed the 30-point plateau this season, while becoming the first freshman in school history to score more than 500 points (509). He has scored 71 points in the last two games, both against Longwood.

NCCU senior Bryan Ayala amassed 10 points, six assists and five steals in his final home game. The school's all-time career leader in steals with 192, Ayala passed Donald Sinclair (1979-81) into second place on NCCU's all-time career assists list with 364.

Eagles freshman forward Nick Chasten contributed 11 points, four boards, three steals and two blocked shots, while senior guard Philip Branch tallied five points and four rebounds in his final home game for NCCU (3-26).

Longwood (16-14) was topped by Durann Neil with 12 points, while Kevin Swecker added 10 points for the Lancers.

As a team, NCCU shot 54.0 percent from the field on 34-of-63 shooting, marking the first time this season the Eagles made more than half of their field goal attempts.

The Lancers, who shot 63.1 percent from the field during Wednesday's 109-89 victory over NCCU, connected on only 37.3 percent (19-for-51) from the floor on Saturday.

NCCU out-rebounded Longwood 39-33, marking the first time the Eagles have accomplished that feat in six games and just the fourth time this season.

Up next, the Eagles travel to Savannah, Ga., for a rematch with Savannah State University on Monday, March 2 at 7 p.m.