MACOMB, Ill.- The North Carolina Central University men’s basketball team ended their four-game road swing that encompassed two-weeks in style behind a trio of double-figure performances led by a game-high 25 points from C.J. Wilkerson (Oxford, N.C.) as the Eagles beat the Fighting Leathernecks of Western Illinois University 66-58 on Wednesday night at Western Hall in Macomb, Ill.

Looking to avoid the emotional letdown following Monday’s overtime win over rival North Carolina A&T, the Eagles used an 13-0 spurt to grab an 16-7 lead with 10:00 left in the first frame.

The lead grew to 10 at 19-9 following a Landon Clement (Raleigh, N.C.) three-pointer that would be answered by the host Leathernecks why Jack Houpt sparked a 5-0 run to bring WIU back within five at 19-14 with a layup and a three-pointer with 7:58 remaining.

WIU cut the deficit to 19-15 following a Kaimarr Price free throw and the Eagles went back to work as Wilkerson hit back-to-back threes and Clement hit a jumper, spreading the lead back out to 12 at 27-15 with 3:27 to go in the half.

The Fighting Leathernecks scratched back with a 7-2 run to end the frame and end the half down 29-22.

Wilkerson picked up exactly where he left off after his 41-point performance against NC A&T hitting a perfect 3-for-3 from the outside and pacing the Eagles with 16 points in the first half.

Western Illinois came out in the second half determined to comeback in front of the home faithful, but two straight Clement three-pointers to start the half stretched the lead to 13 points at 35-22 with 18:45 left in the game.

WIU’s senior guard Brandon Smith answered Clement with back-to-back threes himself to get it back to a seven-point game at 35-28 just a minute later.

With 15:34 to go, a Brandon Smith layup made it 40-37 as WIU threw its best second half punch but the Eagles answered with a Wilkerson layup on the next possession to thwart the rally. After a Price jumper to cut it back to three, Chasten hit one of his two clutch three pointers to give NCCU a six-point cushion at 45-39.

WIU cut it to four just one more time with 12:51 to go, but David Best’s (Raleigh, N.C.) huge basket closed the door on any chance for a WIU win.

After a three-minute scoreless span the Eagles stretched the margin back out to nine on Chasten’s second and final three of the night at 50-41 with 9:11 left. WIU was not able to get margin below six again as NCCU held on to the 66-58 win.

Along with Wilkerson’s 25, the other two top three scorers for NCCU led the way, as Clement finished with 21 points, including 13 in the second half (5-for-9 from three-point range) and Junior Nick Chasten (Raleigh, N.C.) scored 10-second half points to finish with 12 in the win.

NCCU (9-9) finished the nearly two-week road trip 3-1, and now look ahead to their next contest which takes place this Saturday, Jan. 29 at 4:00 p.m. inside the friendly confines of McDougald-McLendon Gym.

To stay up-to-date with NCCU Athletics, log on to NCCUEaglePride.com, the official website of the NCCU Athletics Department.