SAVANNAH, Ga. – North Carolina Central University cobbled together a 20-9 run in the final 10 minutes of the game to draw within six points of Savannah State, but the Tigers were able to hold the Eagles at bay for an 85-75 finish at Tiger Arena.
The first half of the game went as expected as NCCU (14-14, 8-6 MEAC) and SSU (13-16, 10-4 MEAC) combined for 80 points at the half with the Tigers ahead 42-38. The lead changed hands six separate times and the game was tied four times as well.
Raasean Davis (Chicago, Ill.) was a hard worker in the paint with 11 points and six rebounds in the first half, and
Zacarry Douglas (Landover, Md.) also collected six boards with four points as NCCU outrebounded SSU 23-16 at the intermission.
The story of the first half, however, belonged to Alante Fenner (Lake Wales, Fla.) who put in 19 points including a buzzer-beating three-pointer at the half to put the Tigers ahead by four. SSU as a team made eight treys in the first 20 minutes.
SSU opened the second half on a 21-7 run, but the Eagles made a 14-7 run of their own to draw close and set up an exciting finish within the final few minutes.
The Eagles fired in the treys in the second half with six made as a team, and
C.J. Wiggins (Richmond, Va.) knocked down three of them to help NCCU draw within six at 79-73 with 1:27 to go. The Tigers were able to hold firm and made their final six points from the free throw line in the closing stages on the way to an 85-75 final score.
Davis and
Larry McKnight, Jr. (North Miami, Fla.) tied for the team-high with 13 points, and Douglas came one-point shy of a double-double with 10 rebounds and nine points. Wiggins collected 11 points and
Pablo Rivas (Colón, Panama) also had 11 points with six boards.
Raekwon Harney (Winston-Salem, N.C,) dished out a game-high eight assists with five points.
The tandem of Fenner and Javaris Jenkins (Deerfield Beach, Fla.) combined for 48 points, with 25 coming from Fenner with six rebounds, and 23 from Jenkins. Austin Dasent (Charlotte, N.C.) contributed 11 points with seven rebounds, and Ty'lik Evans (Macon, Ga.) had a team-high eight boards with nine points and four assists.
The Eagles will finish the season at home on Thursday, March 1 against North Carolina A&T with a 7:30 p.m. tip off. For ticket information visit NCCUEaglePride.com.
