NORFOLK, Va. – North Carolina Central University fought for 45 minutes as it went to an extra frame with Norfolk State after the Spartans rallied late, but the hosts pulled away in the additional frame for a 75-71 final at Echols Hall on Saturday, Feb. 16.
 
It was slow moving at the beginning of the contest between NCCU (12-14, 7-5 MEAC) and NSU (15-11, 10-1 MEAC), but it was tightly contested as both teams traded the lead multiple times.  The Eagles were able to create some separation late as they closed the half on a 6-1 run over the final three minutes, pushed ahead by Raasean Davis (Chicago, Ill.) and Larry McKnight Jr. (North Miami, Fla.).
 
McKnight hit a pair of big corner threes late in the half and went to the intermission with 12 points, and Davis went 4-for-5 from the free throw line to half eight points after 20 minutes of play.
 
Derrik Jamerson Jr. (Detroit, Mich.) caught fire in the second half as he nailed some big threes to trim the deficit for the Spartans, but NCCU was able to respond with their own threes from Randy Miller Jr. (Odenton, Md.) and Jibri Blount (Pittsburgh, Pa.).
 
The Eagles had an opportunity to put the game away late at the free throw line, but a late three from Jamerson and a layup from Mastadi Pitt (Hampton, Va.) knotted the game at 64 to send the contest to an extra period.
 
Jamerson came up big with another three in the extra frame to provide separation for the Spartans, and the Eagles had one last chance to take a lead but the shot refused to fall through the net as NSU came away with a 75-71 win.
 
Davis pulled down his 11th double-double of the year for the Eagles with 14 points and 11 rebounds, and McKnight finished with a team-high 18 points.  Miller continued his clutch three-point shooting in the extra frame as he finished with 17 points as well.  Jordan Perkins (Greensboro, N.C.) filled the columns on the score sheet with six points, five rebounds and five assists, and Zacarry Douglas (Landover, Md.) pulled down eight boards.
 
Jamerson finished with a game-high 23 points as he went 7-for-7 from the perimeter, and C.J. Kelly (Long Island, N.Y.) contributed 19 points with five rebounds.  Alex Long (Clinton, Md.) was the third Spartan in double-digits with 10 points and three rebounds.
 
The Eagles will play their penultimate road game of the season at Howard on Monday, Feb. 18 before closing the road schedule at North Carolina A&T on Thursday, March 7.  Between those two games, the Eagles will return to McDougald-McLendon Arena to host Savannah State on Saturday, Feb. 23 for Senior Day and then South Carolina State on Monday, Feb. 25 on ESPNU.