NORFOLK, Va. – The North Carolina Central University two-seeded men's basketball team exits the 2024 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Basketball Tournament after dropping its semifinal matchup to six-seeded Delaware State University on Friday, 71-58. Junior Keishon Porter scored a team-high 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds.
The starters for the semifinals game changed since the quarterfinals with junior Timmy Adedire making the start along with Porter, seniors Fred Cleveland Jr. and Manny Izunabor and sophomore Po'Boigh King.
Izunabor opened the game with the first basket. After DSU made it into the scoring column, King scored the next four points tying the game at 6-6 before the 16-minute media timeout.
Porter got involved with the offense giving the Eagles an 8-6 lead before the Hornets took their first lead of the game at 10-8. A three-pointer from Cleveland gave NCCU the advantage again up 11-10 in the exchange of points between both teams.
Between the 12-minute and 8-minute media timeout, the lead was separated by no more than four points as the Hornets pulled ahead.
A dunk from sophomore Perry Smith Jr. at 6:34 made it a three-point game as the score wouldn't change again until after the 4-minute media timeout.
A layup counted as Porter was fouled which would end a 4:27 scoring drought for the Eagles. He scored another bucket in the paint off an offensive rebound to inch NCCU within one point as Delaware State took a 27-26 lead into the half.
Izunabor would cash in on the first four points into the second half, but NC Central went on another scoring drought that lasted over three minutes.
Porter ended DSU's 13-2 run with a corner three along with Cleveland who drained a long-range three as the Hornets led 44-36 heading into the 12-minute media timeout.
King pulled the game within four points, draining a three to make the score 44-40. DSU's Jevin Muniz would answer with a three of his own and Martaz Robinson netted a floater to extend the lead again to 49-40.
The Eagles began to dig into the lead with a deep three-pointer from Cleveland and four straight points from Porter with DSU leading 50-47. A three from Deywilk Tavarez would begin a 12-0 run for the Hornets that lasted until the 3:41 mark, which ended with a free throw from Adedire.
The closest NC Central would come after Delaware State's run was in the final seconds with a layup from King as the Eagles fell 71-58.
DSU's (15-17) trio of Muniz, Tavarez and Robinson combined for 48 of the Hornets' points.
NCCU (18-13) had Cleveland and King join Porter in double figures scoring 14 and 11 points, respectively.
NC Central tied a season-high 18 turnovers which Delaware State scored 20 points from. The only other time the Eagles had that many turnovers was against the Hornets in late January.
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