STARKVILLE, Miss. – An uncharacteristic shooting performance from North Carolina Central University did the Eagles in as they fell to Mississippi State 71-48 on Thursday, Dec. 31 at Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville, Mississippi.
 
MSU (7-5) jumped out early on a 15-4 run and that set the tone for the contest.  Patrick Cole carried the load for NCCU (5-9) in the first half, but the Eagles as a team struggled to hit the mark making just six of 34 attempts in the first half.  NCCU picked up the pace in the second half, but still finished the game shooting under 25 percent.
 
Malik Newman (Jackson, Miss.) paced the Bulldogs in the first half with 11 points to help the Bulldogs to a 34-17 lead at the break.
 
MSU shot over 50 percent in both halves of the game, helped mainly by Gavin Ware (Starkville, Miss.) who was 5-for-7 for a game-high 16 points with nine rebounds.
 
Cole finished the game tied for the team-high with nine points along with Rashaun Madison (Norfolk, Va.) and Jeremiah Ingram (Detroit, Mich.) reached double-figures in rebounding for the third time this year with 12 along with his six points.  Enoch Hood (Norfolk, Va.) notched a career-high nine rebounds in his third start of the season.
 
NCCU opens 2016 at home against East Tennessee State on Monday, Jan. 4 at 8:00 p.m. and then hosts Johnson & Wales on Wednesday, Jan. 6 at 7:00 p.m.
 
For more information on NCCU Athletics, visit NCCUEaglePride.com.