NORFOLK, Va. – North Carolina Central University's 35-game win streak against conference opponents, the longest stretch in the nation, came to an end in the MEAC Tournament semifinals on Friday, as Delaware State University senior guard Amere May exploded for 24 of his game-high 27 points in the second half to lead the Hornets to a 63-57 upset victory over the defending champions inside the Norfolk Scope Arena.
 
NCCU (25-7) held a 32-23 advantage at halftime, shooting 7-of-13 from three-point range and holding May, the top scorer in the league, to just three points at intermission.
 
The Eagles, who were 16-0 in conference play during the regular season, increased their cushion to 12 points (43-31) on a layup by Jordan Parks with 14:17 on the second-half clock.
 
That's when Delaware State (18-16) started its comeback. May knocked down back-to-back trifectas to make it a six-point game with NCCU still hanging on to a 43-37 lead. Later, a layup by Tyshawn Bell cut the deficit to four points (51-47) with 5:59 remaining.
 
May struck again from long distance to tie the contest at 53-53 with 3:24 on the clock.  The Hornets grabbed a four-point advantage, 59-55 with 1:02 left, courtesy of free throws by May.
 
A jumper by NCCU point guard Nimrod Hilliard cut the deficit to 59-57 with 44 seconds remaining, and Delaware State's Charles Burley missed both free throws to give the Eagles a chance to tie the game.
 
Out of a timeout, NCCU junior Dante Holmes slashed to the basket for what appeared to be the game-tying layup, but he was whistled for an offensive foul.
 
May, who made all eight of his free throws in the final two minutes, sealed the victory at the charity stripe.
 
Parks finished the night with 14 points and 10 rebounds for his 13th double-double of the season, while Holmes contributed 11 points and 10 boards for his second double-double of the year. Hilliard topped the Eagles with 17 points to go along with seven assists.
 
Although eliminated from the MEAC Tournament, NCCU has automatically qualified for the NIT Tournament as the regular season conference champions. If not selected for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, the Eagles will await the announcement of the NIT Tournament bracket on Sunday, March 15 at 8:30 p.m. on ESPNU.