DURHAM, N.C. – With the game tied at 72 with 22 seconds remaining, Longwood's buzzer-beater determined the outcome as the North Carolina Central men's basketball team fell 74-72 on Saturday afternoon at McDougald-McLendon Arena.
The Eagles are now 4-10, with one more non-conference game ahead of them. The Lancers move to 7-7, finishing with a 2-2 record against Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opponents this season as a Big South member.
NC Central had a trio of double-figure scorers. Khouri Carvey and Jae Slack each had 17 points, with Carvey grabbing 11 rebounds for his third double-double of the season. Gage Lattimore led all scorers with 22 points.
The contest teetered back and forth throughout. There were three lead changes and five ties, including a 36-36 score at the half. NCCU had a 10-2 advantage in points off turnovers, as well as a 22-12 lead in paint points. Longwood would catch up in both categories through the final 20 minutes.
Slack stayed hot from his 32-point performance a game ago, getting to the free-throw line nine times. Both Slack and Lattimore combined for a perfect 18-of-18 in free throw shooting as NC Central shot 24-of-30 as a team from the charity stripe.
With Longwood up 69-64 with 2:52 remaining, NCCU made five separate trips to the free-throw line, going 8-of-10 in crunch time. Slack's final free throws tied the game at 72 with 22 seconds left on the clock.
Though the Eagles won the turnover battle, 18-12, the Lancers were relentless on the boards. Longwood grabbed 40 rebounds and 16 were offensive, giving the Lancers the 15-6 second-chance point advantage over NCCU.
The most important offensive rebound and putback for Longwood was by Elijah Tucker with less than a second left, as he followed Redd Thompson Jr.'s missed jumper for the bucket and win at the buzzer. Thompson and Jacoi Hutchinson each finished with 17 points to lead the Lancers.
After Christmas, NC Central returns for one last non-conference battle, as they travel to Penn State on Dec. 29. The game tips at 1 p.m. and will be televised on the Big 10 Network from the Bryce Jordan Center.
For more information on NCCU Athletics, visit NCCUEaglePride.com.
