DURHAM, N.C. – North Carolina Central University recovered from an eight-point second half deficit to go into overtime for a second consecutive game, and the Eagles were once again victorious as they staved off Bethune-Cookman, 71-68 inside McDougald-McLendon Arena on Monday, March 2.
 
B-CU (15-14, 9-6 MEAC) held control of the game in the first half as the Wildcats separated themselves from a tied ballgame with a 12-3 run to take an eight-point lead at 23-15 with eight minutes remaining in the first period.  NCCU (16-13, 12-3 MEAC) was able to trim the lead down to one heading down the tail end of the first 20 minutes, but the Wildcats kept pushing the Eagles away. 
 
The Eagles picked up a key three-pointer from Ty Graves (Greensboro, N.C.) with 14 seconds remaining in the first stanza, and that sent the game to the midway point with the score standing at 31-29 in favor of B-CU.
 
The Wildcats started the second half like the first, and they outscored the Eagles 13-7 over the first six minutes to take a 36-44 lead.  Again, the Eagles kept knocking on the door, but the Wildcats refused to answer until Evan Clayborne (Dayton, Ohio) jammed in a game-tying bucket with 6:45 remaining to knot the game at 50-50. 
 
In the waning moments of regulation, the lead changed hands twice, but it was the Wildcats clinging to a three-point lead with less than 40 seconds to go.  For the second time this weekend, it was Jibri Blount (Pittsburgh, Pa.) who fortified the Eagles in the clutch as he hit a trey with 29 seconds remaining to usher the game into overtime.
 
B-CU knocked down two free throws to open the extra period, but that was the only lead it would have as Graves immediately put the Eagles ahead on a corner three-pointer, sending the hosts into the lead, 62-61.  The Wildcats clawed back to tie the game at 64-64 after a three-point play from Cletrell Pope (Northport, Ala.), but it was C.J. Keyser (Baltimore, Md.) who put the Eagles ahead to stay, 67-64, with a three-point play of his own with 1:23 left in overtime.
 
The Wildcats had one last look to send the game to a second-overtime but the three-pointer skipped to the right to give the Eagles a gutsy 71-68 win at home.
 
Blount put up a game-high 19 points for the Eagles along with nine rebounds over a tireless 45-minute performance.  Keyser followed with 15 points and eight boards, and Graves chipped in 11 points with three treys.  Deven Palmer (Hyde Park, Mass.) ripped down a game- and career-high 11 boards, and added five points as well for NCCU.
 
Malik Maitland (Daytona Beach, Fla.) was the generator for B-CU with 17 points and five rebounds, and Pope tacked on 13 points with nine boards.
 
NCCU has now won three overtime games this season, and that is tied for the second-most overtime victories in a single-season in program history.  Added to that, NCCU has now won 15 consecutive games inside McDougald-McLendon Arena.
 
NCCU will meet rival North Carolina A&T on the hardwood on Thursday, March 5 to decide the MEAC regular season title inside McDougald-McLendon Arena.  The game will tip off at 7:00 p.m., and will be televised live on ESPNU.