Box Score

VIDEO:  Eagles Postgame Report Presented by Tru-Pak Moving Systems (Savannah State)

 
DURHAM, N.C. –  It took another gutsy effort by North Carolina Central University on “Senior Day” using a 10-points second half effort from junior Stanton Kidd (Baltimore, Md) as the Eagles outlasted the Tigers of Savannah State University 51-47 on Saturday afternoon in McDougald-McLendon Gym.
 
The win clinched not only second place in the MEAC (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference), but NCCU has earned its first 20-win season since moving to the NCAA Division I level.  This also marks the 16th 20-win campaign since 1927.
 
Both teams came out swinging early and often as it took nearly four minutes for the maroon and gray to record its first field goal as Jay Copeland (Suffolk, Va.) dropped in a layup with 16:13 remaining.
 
The first frame was not pretty for either team as NCCU turned it over 16 times but shot 42.1 percent from the field and surrendered only seven field goals from the visiting Tigers.
 
Starters Copeland and Jeremy Ingram (Charlotte, N.C.) played a combined seven minutes as both were saddled with foul trouble in the first half. 
 
With the score knotted up at 8 with 8:25 to go, the maroon and gray took the lead for good in the first frame on a Drimir Ferguson (Bronx, N.Y.) layup, which he followed up with two more free throws to give the Eagles a 12-8 lead.
 
The biggest highlight of the first half came with 3:51 to go when redshirt sophomore DavRon Williams (Marion, Ind.) threw the hammer down on SSU’s Christopher Spears which gave NCCU an 18-13 advantage following the made free throw.
 
The Eagles took a 24-19 lead into the locker room and added to the lead on an Emanuel Chapman (Raleigh, N.C.) layup, which put the maroon and gray up six at 27-21 with 18:37 to go.
 
Despite the early foul trouble, Ingram’s first jumper of the day put the Eagles up four at 30-26, which came at a big time with SSU cutting the deficit to two.
 
Kidd followed that up with a fast break dunk and a Ray Willis (Atlanta, Ga.) layup that put the Eagles up 34-26 with 13:42 to go.
 
Savannah State would not go away easily as the Tigers fought all the way back to tie the game at 40 with 4:40 to go forcing NCCU head coach LeVelle Moton to call a timeout.
 
The Eagles immediately responded with a 4-0 run thanks to a Chapman jumper and a Kidd steal and layup that put the Eagles up 44-40 with 3:28 left.
 
Solid defense and clutch free throw shooting keyed the maroon and gray down the stretch as NCCU held on for the 51-47 victory recording only its second win over SSU since moving to the NCAA Division I level.
 
Kidd finished the night with 10 points all scored in the second frame, as Willis went 3-for-4 from the foul line down the stretch to finish with 10 points as well.
 
Preston Blackman led the Tigers (17-11, 10-4 MEAC) in scoring ending the night with 13 points, but was just 2-for-7 from the field in the second half because of the stingy Eagle defense.  Blackman was the lone player in double-figures.
 
NCCU (20-8, 13-1 MEAC) outrebounded SSU 33-23, and moves on to the home finale on Monday night at 7:30 p.m. against the Bulldogs of South Carolina State University as the Eagles look for win no. four in-a-row heading down the backstretch of the season.
 
Stay up-to-date with North Carolina Central University Athletics by flying over to www.NCCUEaglePride.com, the official website of NCCU Athletics.