Box Score (HTML)

CINCINNATI, OHIO – Round No. 2 of the 2014 Emerald Coast Classic saw North Carolina Central University fight tooth-and-nail with the host Bearcats of Cincinnati, dropping a tough 59-50 decision inside Fifth Third Arena on Tuesday night.
 
Despite the Bearcats leading for close to 33 minutes in the game, Cincinnati never led by more than nine points in the contest.
 
Both teams went back-and-forth through the first half with NCCU taking an 8-7 lead with 13:33 to go after a layup by Jordan Parks (Queens, New York), but UC scored the next four points to take an 11-8 advantage with 10:57 to go.
 
Following Karamo Jawara's (Bergen, Norway) three-pointer to knot the game at 11 apiece, the Bearcats went on a 9-2 run to take a seven cushion at 20-13 following Troy Caupain's layup.
 
Cincinnati took a six-point lead into the locker room at 31-25.
 
In the second stanza, once again the maroon and gray proved to be the pesky out for Cincinnati as Park's original three-point play made it 33-30 with 17:01 to go, but the Bearcats answered with the game's next five points.
 
With 11:12 remaining, Jawara's layup cut the deficit to three once again at 40-37, but UC responded by scoring five-straight points to stretch the margin back to eight at 45-37.
 
Less than five minutes later, following Jeremiah Ingram's (Detroit, Michigan) layup that made it 47-43, Cincinnati's Jermaine Sanders drilled his only three of the night to push the Bearcat advantage to 50-43 with 6:16 remaining.
 
NCCU was unable to get any closer down-the stretch as the Bearcats size was just too much to overcome as Cincinnati held on for the 59-50 win.
 
Four Eagles finished in double figures led by Nimrod Hilliard's (Madison, Wisconsin) 14 points on 5-of-11 shooting, while the final three (Dante Holmes, Jawara, and Parks) all ended up with 10 points.  Hilliard also topped the team with four rebounds and three assists.
 
Cincinnati (4-0) was led by Clayton, North Carolina native Gary Clark, who ended up with a season-high 12 points, eight rebounds, and four blocks.  The Bearcats dominated on the boards outrebounding the maroon and gray 33-to-15 and finished with an 18-to-2 advantage in second chance points.
NCCU (1-3) will look to recover as the get set to face the Panthers of Eastern Illinois University inside The Arena on the campus of Northwest Florida State College in Niceville, Florida for the Emerald Coast Classic.  That contest is slated for a 12:00 p.m. (EST) tip on Friday, Nov. 28.
 
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