EVANSVILLE, Ind. – North Carolina Central University trimmed a 17-point second-half deficit down to just seven points with ten minutes remaining, but Evansville was able to hold off the Eagles for a 68-55 final score at the Ford Center on Monday, Nov. 13.
 
NCCU (0-2) found itself in a hole early as UE (2-0) raced out of the gate on a 12-3 run, but the Eagles held firm and chipped away at the lead and closed the first 20 minutes on an 8-1 run to go to the break trailing 36-26.
 
The Purple Aces commanded the lead from wire-to-wire, bolstered by a 29-point output from Ryan Taylor (Gary, Ind.) but the Eagles were able to fight back and start their second-half run to cut the gap back down to single-digits with under 10 minutes to play.
 
Raasean Davis (Chicago, Ill.) again came one rebound short of a double-double as he led the maroon and gray with 12 points and nine rebounds, and Reginald Gardner, Jr. (Bowie, Md.) dropped in 11 points with three assists to make it back-to-back games scoring in double-digits to start his collegiate career.
 
Zacarry Douglas (Landover, Md.) also was close to a double-double with 11 points and nine boards to help push the Eagles down the stretch, but the Purple Aces were able to pull away for the 68-55 win.
 
UE's Taylor was backed up by a pair of teammates in double-figures as Blake Simmons (Newburgh, Ind.) had 11 points and Duane Gibson (Cleveland, Ohio) had 10.  Dru Smith (Evansville, Ind.) pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds for the Purple Aces.
 
The Eagles were bitten by the turnover bug as they lost the rock 26 times, the most since Jan. 15, 2010 when the Eagles turned the ball over 27 times against Tennessee Temple.
 
NCCU finishes up its three-game road trip at Tennessee-Martin on Wednesday, Nov. 15 before opening the doors at McDougald-McLendon Arena on Friday, Nov. 17 against Warren Wilson.