DURHAM, N.C. – North Carolina Central University put a cap on the calendar year with an emphatic 101-66 win over Montreat College at McDougald-McLendon Arena on Friday, Dec. 30, and finished the non-conference slate with a 9-5 mark, the best in the Division-I era for the Eagles.
 
NCCU (9-5) never let Montreat (10-2) into the lead for the duration of the game, and the Eagles held the guests below 10 points for the first eight and one-half minutes of the contest while stretching out a 22 point lead at 30-8.
 
The Eagles held a 44-23 lead at the break, and opened the gap up to as many as 37 in the late stages of the contest at 90-53.
 
NCCU shot close to 47 percent from the floor, and knocked down one-third of its three-pointers, and the maroon and gray were led by Dajuan Graf (Charlotte, N.C.) who eclipsed 20 points for the second consecutive game with a tally of 22 with seven rebounds and five assists.
 
Kyle Benton (Long Beach, Calif.) made a return to the floor for the Eagles with a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds, and Will Ransom (Fort Worth, Texas) came close to a double-double of his own with nine points and eight rebounds.
 
For the fourth time this season, Pablo Rivas (Phoenix, Ariz.) made all of his field goal attempts, as he finished 3-for-3 for six points and six rebounds.  Other high scorers for the Eagles were Rashaun Madison (Norfolk, Va.) who had 16 points, and Ron Trapps (Lancaster, S.C.) who had 14 points and three steals.  C.J. Wiggins (Richmond, Va.) also went over double-digits with 12 points, coming off the bench.
 
The Eagles have another week away from competition before entering Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play against Maryland Eastern Shore on Saturday, Jan. 7 at 4:00 p.m. at McDougald-McLendon Arena.