Fred Cleveland Jr at Georgia
Georgia Athletics
54
N.C. Central NCCU 1-2,0-0 MEAC
64
Winner Georgia UGa 2-1,0-0 SEC
N.C. Central NCCU
1-2,0-0 MEAC
54
Final
64
Georgia UGa
2-1,0-0 SEC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
N.C. Central NCCU 23 31 54
Georgia UGa 27 37 64

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

NCCU’s Rally Ended by Georgia’s Second Half Run

ATHENS, Ga. – The North Carolina Central University men's basketball program led in the second half of Sunday's game at Georgia before succumbing to the Bulldogs 64-54. Redshirt senior Emmanuel Izunabor led the Eagles in scoring, posting 12 points and eight rebounds.

Senior Fred Cleveland Jr. started the game with two jumpers that gave NCCU a 4-2 lead. Georgia went on to score 10 straight points before Po'Boigh King's first bucket of the evening. Redshirt senior Ja'Darius Harris scored five quick points closing UGA's lead to eight.

The Eagles went without a point for six minutes with Georgia stretching its lead to 10. A pair of threes from junior Cobey Harraway and Cleveland would cut it to 5 points with a minute to go in the first half. The Bulldogs knocked down two free throws, and King followed up with a three-pointer making the score 27-23 to close the half down only four.

King and Cleveland went into the break with seven points each, and Harris was one point behind the duo with six. NCCU led Georgia in rebounding 19-17 in the first half, with an 8-3 offensive rebounding advantage.

North Carolina Central started off the second half strong and clawed back to gain its first lead since the 16:32 mark in the first. Harraway's three gave NCCU a 30-29 advantage over Georgia.

The Eagles caught fire from three after starting 1-8 from the arc. Men's basketball turned that percentage around, going 4-7 from three by the 15-minute mark of the second half. NC Central kept Georgia without a field goal for 4:30 before Blue Cain of UGA tied the game at 32-32.

Turnovers and foul trouble would hinder NCCU from keeping momentum. The Eagles turned the ball over four times in five possessions allowing the Bulldogs to regain the lead. UGA went up by 11 points before both teams went into the bonus with eight minutes remaining.

Izunabor held his own in the paint against Georgia's seven-footer, scoring most of his points in the second half. He was just two rebounds short of a double-double performance.

Georgia's 13-2 run after NCCU's lead would seal the deal as the Eagles fell on Sunday evening.

North Carolina Central returns to the hardwood on Tuesday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. to host Mid-Atlantic Christian in McDougald-McLendon Arena.

For more information on NCCU Athletics, visit NCCUEaglePride.com, or download the NCCU Eagles Athletics app.
 
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