Box Score


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LARAMIE, Wyo. – Clutch free throw shooting, solid defense, and Ray Willis’s (Atlanta, Ga.) 20 points were just enough for North Carolina Central University to grind out a 59-55 victory over Southern University in the first contest of day two of the 2012 Global Sports Hoops Showcase inside Arena-Auditorium in Laramie, Wyo.
 
In the third meeting since 1941 between the Eagles and Jaguars, both teams struggled from the field early as Southern took the early lead at 7-4 through the first media timeout. 
 
NCCU missed four of its first five shots from the field yet only trailed 12-10 with 13:11 to go, when the Jags went on a 8-2 spurt to grab a 20-12 advantage with 9:03 left.
 
The Eagles responded as Willis scored seven consecutive points including a three-point play to cut the margin to one at 22-21, and the maroon and gray took the lead at 23-22 on an Emanuel Chapman (Raleigh, N.C.) jumper.
 
Five points became the largest lead for NCCU in the first half and the Eagles took that margin into the locker room with the score 33-28. 
 
Over the final nine minutes of the first stanza, head coach LeVelle Moton and his squad outscored Southern 21-8 and held the Jags to 8-for-21 (38.1 percent) from the field while the Eagles were a stellar 13-for-16 from the foul line.
 
NCCU came out in the second half throwing haymakers as the maroon and gray extended the lead to 13 on the heels of a 10-2 run, putting the score at 43-30 with 17:40 to go.  In fact, the first six points of the spurt by the Eagles came in the first minute of the second half thanks to a Jay Copeland (Suffolk, Va.) hoop-and-the-harm, and a Kidd jumper and free throw.
 
Despite both teams going on a near three minute scoring drought, any rally Southern tried to muster, NCCU had an answer for in the final half.
 
Over the final 17 minutes, NCCU would go ice cold scoring only 16 points and recording only seven made field goals in the half.  Clutch free throw shooting carried the maroon and gray as they went 12-for-15 (80.0 percent) from the charity stripe to finish 25-for-31 (80.6 percent) on the night.
 
For the second straight night Willis came up big for NCCU leading all scorers with 20 points on just 4-for-16 shooting.  The senior captain was a perfect 12-for-12 from the foul line and fell one rebound shy of his fifth Eagle double-double. 
 
Junior transfer Stanton Kidd (Baltimore, Md.) recorded his first double-double at the NCAA Division I level as he scored 13 points and pulled down a season-high 13 rebounds in the win.  Junior Jeremy Ingram (Charlotte, N.C.) contributed nine points while Copeland ended up with eight points going 4-for-5 from the foul line.
 
Southern was red-hot from the outside in the first frame shooting 4-for-9, but was just 1-of-7 in the second half from three-point range, and was outrebounded by NCCU 39-30.
 
With four assists in the victory, Chapman moved one assist shy of passing Larry Crowder (1991-1993) for No. 11 all-time at NCCU in career assists.  Crowder finished with 238 helpers while Chapman currently has 237 in his third season.
 
On a sad note, the Eagles ended a streak of 197-straight games of hitting at least one three-pointer as NCCU attempted only four shots from the outside going 0-for-4.  Prior to Thursday evening, the last time the maroon and gray failed to connect from the outside was on Jan. 17, 2006 on the road at Livingstone as the Eagles were victorious 64-61.
 
SU was led by Malcolm Miller who led the Jags with 17 points but was just 1-for-3 from the outside in the second half, as Javan Mitchell amassed 14 points, and Derick Beltran notched a near double-double 10 points and nine rebounds in the loss.
 
NCCU (2-2) looks to end the 2012 Global Sports Hoops Showcase 2-1 on the week and bring some major momentum back to Durham. 
 
The Eagles will battle the Coyotes of the University of South Dakota in the Friday matinee as tipoff is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. (EST) inside Arena-Auditorium.  Southern (1-3) takes on tournament host Wyoming tomorrow evening at 8:00 p.m. (EST)
 
Stay up-to-date with North Carolina Central University Athletics by flying over to www.NCCUEaglePride.com, the official website of NCCU Athletics.