Box Score NCCU at Charlotte Box Score (HTML)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (NCCUEaglePride.com) – In North Carolina Central University’s first contest as an official Division I member, early foul trouble proved costly as an early 13-point lead vanquished, which gave the Charlotte 49ers enough momentum to take a first half lead they would never relinquish in the 73-57 victory over the Eagles on Friday night inside Halton Arena.
 
The first eight minutes and change were dominated by NCCU transfers senior Dominique Sutton (Durham, N.C.) and junior Ray Willis (Atlanta, Ga.) who keyed an 8-0 run breaking open a 13-8  contest to give the Eagles a 21-8 lead with 11:22 remaining in the first half. 
 
In fact from 16:38 till 10:35 left in the first half, the Eagles outscored the 49ers 13-3, but NCCU’s undoing came along with the 13 personal fouls called in the first half which derailed any momentum from the early first half run. 
 
Charlotte’s duo of Javarris Barnett and DeMario Mayfield single-handedly kept the Niners in the ballgame combining for 20-first half points that included a deadly 4-of-6 from the perimeter.  Over the last ten minutes of the first frame, Charlotte outscored the Eagles 27-14 to take a one point lead into the locker room at 35-34.
 
NCCU (0-1) came out flat in the second half that included a number of quick turnovers which allowed the 49ers to extend their lead to 42-34 on the heels of a 7-0 run, forcing third-year head coach LeVelle Moton to take a timeout to sway the momentum.
 
Over the next 11 minutes the Eagles stayed within striking distance, not allowing Charlotte to pull away keeping the deficit under double digits for most of the second frame until the 5:31 mark, when back-to-back Charlotte baskets put the Niners up by 15 which was too much for the maroon and gray to overcome falling 73-57 in the season opener.  Charlotte saw its largest lead grow to as high as 20 as the Eagles cooled off dramatically from the field in the second half shooting just 33.3 percent, 1-for-5 from the three-point line, and a dismal 6-17 from the free throw line.
 
The Eagles boasted two players in double figures as Sutton finished his first double-double as an Eagle scoring 15 points and grabbing 12 rebounds despite an uncharacteristic 1-of-11 mark from the charity stripe, while Willis ended the night with 15 points on 5-of-11 shooting from the field.  One pleasant surprise for the visiting Eagles was senior point guard Justin Leemow (Brooklyn, N.Y.) who was 3-for-6 from the outside finished with nine points in the loss. 
 
Four of the five 49er starters scored in double figures led by Chris Braswell who also finished with a double-double dropping in 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting while pulling down 12 rebounds as he caused matchup problems all night for Moton’s squad.
 
NCCU looks to regroup as they return to the homestead for a Sunday matinee against a second Charlotte-based school in Johnson and Wales University, whom the Eagles beat 90-30 last season in the home opener on Nov. 12, 2010.
 
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