Box Score



South Dakota vs. NCCU Box Score (PDF)                South Dakota vs. NCCU Box Score (HTML)

LARAMIE, Wyo. – Leading 35-30 at the halftime break, the North Carolina Central University men’s basketball team ran into a red-hot University of South Dakota squad who shot 16-of-24 (66.7 percent) from the field in the second half finishing 10-for-24 from three-point range to outlast the Eagles 81-69 in the final day of the Global Sports Hoops Showcase inside the Arena-Auditorium in Laramie, Wyo.
 
After a gritty first half in which there were six ties and three lead changes, NCCU held USD to 38.7 percent shooting (12-for-31) and led by five at 35-30.  The Eagles outscored the Coyotes 12-4 over the final 4:50 to seemingly take momentum into the locker room.  Junior Stanton Kidd (Baltimore, Md.) paced NCCU with 10 points and six boards, while Ray Willis had a productive six points and seven rebounds.
 
The final 20 minutes were a different story as South Dakota came out firing on all cylinders to the tune of a 15-2 explosion in the first five minutes to turn a five-point maroon and gray lead into 10-point deficit at 47-37. 
 
From that point on, the Eagles had an uphill climb as the Coyotes were an astonishing 7-for-12 (58.3%) from three-point range after hitting just three in the first half and were a near-perfect 12-for-14 from the charity stripe in the second stanza.
 
On the other hand, NCCU shot just 4-for-21 (19.0 percent) from three-point range and 15-for-23 from the foul line in the loss.
 
NCCU continued to fight back, cutting the double digit deficit to four on a Jay Copeland (Suffolk, Va.) three-point play at 67-63, but USD’s Steve Tecker hit a clutch jumper to hold off the Eagle rally. 
 
Less than a minute later, Copeland was at the line shooting two, missed the second free throw and got the rebound, but Emanuel Chapman (Raleigh, N.C.) missed a jumper that would have cut the margin to three.  South Dakota went on to stretch the advantage out to 12 and held on for the win.
 
NCCU (2-3) was led in scoring by Copeland who recorded double figures for the first time as an Eagle who dropped in 18 points and a season-high seven rebounds, while Jeremy Ingram (Charlotte, N.C.) scored 17 points on 5-of-14 shooting.  After a stellar first half, Kidd finished with 14 points on 7-of-10 shooting for the Eagles.  Willis finished the night 3-for-10 from the field, scoreless in the second half.
 
On a positive note, Chapman moved up the charts to No. 11 in career assists with five and current has 242 in his Eagle career.  NCCU outrebounded USD 34-31, but the Coyotes turned 11 Eagle turnovers into 20 points in the win.
 
The Eagles return home and prepare for a three-game homestand beginning on Tuesday night, Nov. 20 at 7:00 p.m. at McDougald-McLendon Gym as the maroon and gray host Toccoa Falls.  This will be the first meeting between these two programs.
 
Stay up-to-date with North Carolina Central University Athletics by flying over to www.NCCUEaglePride.com, the official website of NCCU Athletics.