HUNTINGTON, W. Va. – North Carolina Central University staged a late run to pull within single-digits with under three minutes remaining, but Marshall was able to hold off the resurgent Eagles for a 92-84 final score at the Cam Henderson Center on Wednesday, Nov. 22.
 
NCCU (2-4) got off to a hot start as Reggie Gardner, Jr. (Bowie, Md.) nailed a quick barrage of threes to give the Eagles a 9-7 lead over Marshall (3-2) in the early stages.  Marshall went on a run of its own to flip the tables, but the Eagles held tight and went to the half down nine, 47-38.
 
The Thundering Herd opened up a 17-point lead in the second half, but the Eagles were unfazed and clawed their way back, and trimmed the lead to single-digits with under three minutes to go.
 
It took some timely threes from Gardner, and Zacarry Douglas (Landover, Md.) for the Eagles to make their way back into the game, but the Thundering Herd were able to keep the Eagles at bay for a 92-84 final.
 
Raasean Davis (Chicago, Ill.) was again a driving force for the Eagles with a career-high 21 points and five rebounds, and Gardner also had a career-high with 17 points as he splashed five treys in the contest.  Douglas also hit a career-high with 15 points, along with Larry McKnight, Jr. (North Miami, Fla.) who matched him with 15 points and a career-high five rebounds.
 
Marshall was led by Ajdin Penava (Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina) who put 23 points with five rebounds, and Jon Elmore (Charleston, W. Va.) scored a game-high 24 points with four three-pointers, and dished out a game-high nine assists.
 
NCCU shot 53.2 percent from the floor and 46.2 percent from the perimeter as a team, and Marshall shot 54.1 percent from the floor in a highly-accurate contest.
 
NCCU finishes up its slate in the Global Sports Invitational at Illinois on Friday, Nov. 24.