Box Score
Photo Gallery (Facebook):  NCCU at Florida A&M (Courtesy FAMU Athletics)

TALLAHASSEE, FLA. – Leading 58-44 with 10:37 to go following a Jordan Parks (Queens, N.Y.) alley-oop dunk, North Carolina Central University went cold going more than six minutes without a field goal, while the host Rattlers of Florida A&M University went on a 19-to-2 run the rest of the way to pull of the 63-60 win over the Eagles on Saturday evening from the Lawson Center in Tallahassee, Fla.

The loss sends NCCU to 0-1 in MEAC (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) play for the first time since joining the league and is the first loss inside the Lawson Center since the building opened three years ago.

NCCU led from the get-go as Florida A&M was issued a technical foul to start the game due to a scorebook error as Jeremy Ingram (Charlotte, N.C.) drilled both free throws putting the maroon and gray up 2-0. 

The Eagles led 8-2 after Alfonzo Houston's layup with 16:55 left, but the Rattlers fought back to cut it to one at 11-10 after one of Reggie Lewis's four threes on the night with 13:51 remaining.

Over the next five minutes, the maroon and gray stretched the lead back out to take a 23-14 advantage, using that momentum to sail into the locker room with an eight-point lead despite Jamie Adams for FAMU drilling a three-pointer as time wound down to make it 42-34 at the break.

In the second half, the Eagles seemingly put the host Rattlers at arms' length holding on to a double-digit lead throughout the first 10 minutes of the frame, but Florida A&M simply stuck with it as the NCCU offense went cold.
From the 10:37 mark of the second half to the four minute mark, the maroon and gray committed four costly turnovers, and missed seven straight shots before Emanuel Chapman (Raleigh, N.C.)  connected on a layup to give the Eagles a 60-54 lead.

That was the last bucket the maroon and gray scored the rest of the way.

NCCU led for 39 minutes and 38 second of the contest, but with the a one-point lead senior Jamie Adams drilled a 23-foot three-pointer that brought the home crowd to their feet, giving FAMU the led at 62-60 with 22.1 second left.
The Eagles turned the ball over on the next possession and Lewis drilled one-of-two free throws to give the Rattlers the upset victory over the Eagles, as Ingram's heave from the backcourt fell short, sending the maroon and gray to the 63-60 defeat.

Offensively, NCCU shot a meager 5-for-23 (21.7 percent) from the field in the second half, despite shooting a spectacular 22-for-24 (91.7 percent) from the foul line, outrebounding FAMU 38-35, and outscoring the Rattlers 26-16 in the paint.

Florida A&M (5-11, 1-0 MEAC) moved to 4-0 at home on the year and was led by its dynamic duo of Lewis and Adams who finished with identical 19 point nights, combining to hit all nine of the Rattlers shots from beyond-the-arc in the win.

The Eagles (8-5, 0-1 MEAC) saw Houston lead the way with 16 points, while despite going 2-for-15 from the field Ingram added 13 points as he was 9-for-11 from the charity stripe.  Chapman contributed 11 points while recording four assists and five steals which tied a career high.  The senior guard also moved into a tie for seventh place all-time with 135 steals in his career.  Redshirt junior Jay Copeland (Suffolk, Va.) fell one rebound short of his second career double-double finishing with 11 points and nine rebounds, while junior Karamo Jawara (Bergen, Norway) ripped down a career-high 13 rebounds in the tough defeat.

NCCU looks to rebound on Monday night, Jan. 13, as they take on the Wildcats of Bethune-Cookman University from Moore Gymnasium at 7:30 p.m.

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