Box Score

NCCU at Utah Valley Box Score (PDF)

OREM, Utah – Four student-athletes on the North Carolina Central University men’s basketball squad recorded double-figures as the Eagles earned the season-sweep over the host Wolverines of Utah Valley University headlined by junior Jeremy Ingram’s career-high tying 27 points in the 73-67 victory on Saturday evening inside the Utah Community Credit Union Center in Orem, Utah.
 
Both teams went step-for-step out of the gate with Utah Valley holding on to a 12-11 advantage following Alfonzo Hubbard’s three-pointer with 15:49 remaining.
 
The visiting Eagles went on a 10-4 run over the next four minutes that began with the first of four three-pointers in the first half for junior point guard Emanuel Chapman (Raleigh, N.C.) as NCCU led 21-16 with 12:31 left.
 
The maroon and gray led the remainder of the first half thanks to stellar shooting going 16-for-31 (51.6 percent) that included an astonishing 6-for-12 (50 percent) from three-point range.
 
NCCU took momentum into the locker room as senior Ray Willis (Atlanta, Ga.) drilled a three-pointer as time was winding down in the first frame on a broken play that gave head coach LeVelle Moton’s squad their largest lead of the first 20 minutes of play at 43-34.
 
The final stanza certainly had its dramatic moments, but the Eagles answered every challenge that the Wolverines had to offer. 
 
Through the first three minutes of the second half, UVU chiseled the lead down to three at 46-43 with 17:01 left when sophomore Karamo Jawara (Bergen, Norway) converted on a three-point play to spread the lead back out to six.
 
Moments later, Ingram’s hoop-and-the-harm gave NCCU its largest lead of the evening at 56-45 with 13:17 left on the clock.
 
Utah Valley cut the margin to six at 58-52 with 9:19 left, but Ingram answered again with a pair of free throws to stretch the lead back to eight at 60-52.
 
With UVU scratching and crawling back into contention Willis’s jumper with 3:15 ended a crucial two-minute drought for NCCU.
 
Through the final nine minutes, the feisty Wolverines chipped away slowly at NCCU’s lead as Holton Hunsaker’s lone three-pointer of the night made it 67-64 with 2:58 left.
 
A Hubbard free-throw cut the deficit to two at 67-65 when Ingram connected with Stanton Kidd (Baltimore, Md.) on a give-and-go to add cushion to the Eagle advantage at 69-65. 
 
Clutch free-throw shooting was all the maroon and gray needed to put UVU away, holding on for the 73-67 victory.
 
In the win, Ingram equaled his point total from his 27-point performance on the road at Howard on Jan. 16, 2012.  The junior from Charlotte was a spectacular 11-for-14 from the foul line.
 
Also putting up big numbers, Kidd recorded his second NCCU double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Chapman recorded a career-high 12 points going 4-for-6 (66.7 percent) from three-point range and amassed nine assists to place him one assist away from tying Jeffrey Hayes (85-87, 88-90) for fifth place all-time in career helpers.  Hayes ended his Eagle career with 288 assists.
 
For the second consecutive ballgame, Jawara recorded nine rebounds for the Eagles, while Willis contributed 13 points to wrap-up the scoring for the maroon and gray.
 
UVU (6-8) was aided by a duo of 19-point performances by Hubbard and Nick Thompson.  Ben Aird fouled out with 10 points and Antoine Hosley recorded 10 points as well. 
 
NCCU (6-6) will enjoy the holiday break before getting back to action on Saturday, Dec. 29 against the Golden Eagles of Marquette University.  Tipoff is set for 2:00 p.m. inside the BMO Harris Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wis.
 
Stay up-to-date with North Carolina Central University Athletics by flying over to www.NCCUEaglePride.com, the official website of NCCU Athletics.