Complete Game Statistics
WASHINGTON, D.C.- Trailing by six after the halftime break, the Eagles of North Carolina Central University turned it up a notch scoring 51 second-half points, shooting 7-of-13 (57.1%) from three-point range led by Landon Clement’s 23 points, including 11 in the final 31 seconds in the 79-70 win over Howard University at Burr Gymnasium in Washington, D.C.
In the first meeting between the two programs since 1980, the old CIAA rivalry was immediately renewed as both teams went toe-to-toe in the first half, while Howard hit six first-half threes to grab a 34-28 lead after the first 20 minutes.
Junior Nick Chasten (Raleigh, N.C.) kept the Eagles in the contest by leading all scorers with 15 points in the first frame going 7-for-10 from the field, but it was HU’s Dadrian Collins and Anton Dickerson who combined for five first half threes to give the Bison the halftime cushion.
The second half was an all out war for both teams, but the first six minutes belonged to the Bison who stretched the margin out to 10 at 44-34 with 14:44 remaining in the ballgame following a Mike Phillips jumper. The maroon and gray quickly responded to get back in the contest with a 8-0 run in less than a minute to cut the deficit to two, thanks to freshman Jeremy Ingram’s (Charlotte, N.C.) original three-point play to put the score at 44-42 with 13:38 to go.
A C.J. Wilkerson (Oxford, N.C.) free-throw with 10:15 remaining gave the Eagles their first lead of the second half, but the Bison answered back with seven straight points to grab onto a 57-51 lead, which NCCU responded with a run of its own, thanks to three-pointers from both Ingram and Wilkerson to tie the contest up at 57 with 7:38 left in the game.
After HU scored four straight points, NCCU refused to panic and made one last run down 61-57 to knot the game up at 61 following a Clement layup and two free throws from Wilkerson who finished the night 9-for-14 from the line.
The seventh and final tie of the night came from yet another Wilkerson free-throw and the Eagles threw its final haymaker to take a five-point lead at 67-62 following Clement’s third trifecta of the second half.
It was Clement’s fourth and final three that proved to be the dagger with NCCU leading 67-66 with 42 seconds left. As the shot clock was winding down, Clement drained a 23-foot three from the top of the key, sending the Eagle faithful in the stands into a frenzy, as NCCU led 70-66 with 31 seconds left.
It was after that three where tempers started to flare as four technical fouls were called in the last 30 seconds of the game, where NCCU put the game away with clutch free-throw shooting and escaped with the 79-70 win.
Clement finished the evening tying a career-high with 26 points, leading all scorers including three other Eagles. Clement also set a personal record with seven rebounds and tied a career-mark with six assists in the win.
Chasten ended up with 20 points five rebounds and two steals, putting the Eagles record at 10-1 when he records 10 points or more while Wilkerson scored 16 points along with six assists, while Ingram showed the Eagle faithful what to look for in the future with 10 points, three assists and two steals in 21 minutes of action.
NCCU (11-10) has yet another quick turnaround as the travel to High Point University for the fifth meeting in program history this Monday night, Feb. 7 at 7:00 from the Millis Center in High Point, N.C.
To stay up-to-date with NCCU Athletics, log on to NCCUEaglePride.com, the official website of the NCCU Athletics Department.
