DURHAM, N.C. – North Carolina Central University trailed by as many as 11 in the second half and put together a 10-2 run over the final 90 seconds to snatch a 67-66 win at home over McNeese State on Saturday, Dec. 1 at McDougald-McLendon Arena.
 
11 points is the largest second-half deficit NCCU (4-5) has overcome since trailing by 12 on the way to a 59-52 win at Hampton on Jan. 19, 2015, and the largest overall deficit since trailing by 18 against Delaware State in a 72-61 win in Durham on Jan. 30, 2017.
 
Both NCCU and McNeese (2-5) were ice cold in the first half, as both teams combined to shoot 17-for-57 (29.8 percent) over the first 20 minutes, and a combined 3-for-17 (17.6 percent) from the arc.  The Eagles scored first and held the lead for the first 15 minutes until the Cowboys were able to get ahead briefly, but NCCU was able to take a 22-21 lead to the intermission.
 
McNeese caught fire from the arc after the break, and made three of its first five treys to take a 38-30 lead with 13 minutes to go.  Reggie Gardner Jr. (Bowie, Md.) got hot as well in the second half as he knocked down four triples in the second half to set up a grandstand finish within the last three minutes.
 
The Eagles trailed by as many as 11 in the second half, but mounted a 10-2 run over the final 1:51 with critical free throws from Larry McKnight Jr. (North Miami, Fla.) and Nicolas Fennell (Landover, Md.) to put the home team ahead late.  McNeese was able to get to the bucket and reclaim the advantage with 18.8 seconds to go on a floater from James Harvey (Amite, La.) at 66-65. 
 
NCCU held firm and McKnight drew a foul on the way to the tin and converted on both free throws with eight seconds remaining to put the hosts back ahead 67-66.  McNeese had one last effort at the bucket in the closing seconds, but a contested jumper skipped off the iron to secure a 12th consecutive home win for the maroon and gray.
 
McKnight accrued 20 points over the contest, and Raasean Davis (Chicago, Ill.) powered the Eagles with a double-double of 21 points and 17 rebounds.  Gardner finished up with 17 points for the maroon and gray as he made four of the five team threes.
 
Sha'Markus Kennedy (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) was a menace for the Cowboys as he picked up a double-double of 22 points and 10 rebounds before he was disqualified from the contest.  Harvey was a pinpoint 5-for-7 from the arc for 19 points, and Kevin Hunt (Little Rock, Ark.) collected 10 points for McNeese in the close contest.
 
The Eagles will now have a week to rest before starting a four-game road trip at Appalachian State on Saturday, Dec. 8.