CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The North Carolina Central men's basketball team showed fight after being down double figures in the first half, but the 18th ranked North Carolina Tar Heels pulled away defeating the Eagles 97-53 on Friday evening at the Smith Center.
NCCU sits at 1-4 through the second week of the season, completing its third and final game against an ACC opponent.
Ramondo Battle II led NC Central, scoring 14 points after a quick start in the first half.
NC Central was down by double digits early, until Battle scored five straight points, bringing the score to 21-12 with 10 minutes remaining in the half. Battle scored seven points minutes later after a dunk, three-pointer and pull-up jumper.
A Ryan Archey steal and score narrowed the game, 29-23. UNC used its height advantage in the paint, feeding Caleb Wilson with alley-oop slams. Wilson went 6-of-7 through the first 20 minutes, one rebound shy of a double-double with 17 points. The Tar Heels had a 22-10 paint point edge early and protected the basket with seven blocks.
NCCU ended the half down 39-24. Battle was the only Eagle in double figures with 12 points, going 4-of-5 from the field. NC Central forced 10 Tar Heel turnovers but only shot 28.1 percent from the field (9-of-32).
Khouri Carvey went into the second half in foul trouble and picked up his fourth with 16:22 remaining. He would eventually foul out eight minutes later, changing the on-court dynamic for the Eagles.
Gage Lattimore started seeing the ball go through the net after only scoring three points early in the game. He finished with 12 points.
The Tar Heels also took better care of the ball and didn't turn it over at all in the second half. UNC also kept making plays in the paint and went 8-of-17 in the second half from beyond the arc. Wilson finished with 21 points and 13 rebounds. Three other Tar Heels were in double figures.
Though the Eagles fell short on the court, they played for a bigger purpose on Friday. Onyx Williams, a four-year-old boy who is battling brain cancer, was asked by head coach LeVelle Moton to be NCCU's honorary assistant coach.
The team wore shirts during warm-ups that said, "All in with Onyx" with a picture of Williams on the front. He was also presented with a care package from the team, as well as a pregame presentation in collaboration with UNC. Both Moton and North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis joined Williams center court where he was acknowledged by the crowd with cheers and presented with a UNC jersey and signed basketball.
NC Central's next opponent is Toccoa Falls on Nov. 18. The Eagles will host at McDougald-McLendon Arena at 7:30 p.m.
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