PRINCESS ANNE, Md. – The North Carolina Central University men's basketball team stumbled at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in a 68-59 loss at the Hytche Arena on Wednesday evening. The Eagles have yet to win a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference game on the road this season.

Junior forward Perry Smith Jr. scored a team-high 18 points and pulled down eight boards in the contest. Smith shot 7-of-10 from the field against the Hawks. Junior guard Po'Boigh King joined Smith in double figures with 15 points.

NC Central is now 11-17 overall and 4-7 in MEAC competition with three regular-season games remaining. This was the first time the Eagles dropped a contest to UMES since the 2022-23 season and the first conference win for the Hawks.

UMES (5-22, 1-10) went back and forth with NCCU playing a close first 20 minutes. The Eagles went into halftime up 33-27.

Both teams traded leads and tied up the game multiple times. The last time NCCU led was with a jumper from King that put the Maroon and Gray at a 48-44 advantage with 13:25 remaining.

From then on, UMES went on a 24-11 run to close the game and never surrendered the lead again. NC Central would eventually fall 68-59 with Evan Johnson of the Hawks leading all scorers with 19 points.

NCCU shot 35.9 percent from the field and went 9-of-17 from the free throw line. The Hawks went to the line 21 times, making 17. Rebounding also hurt the Eagles with UMES grabbing 46 compared to NC Central's 33.

The Eagles did cause 18 turnovers on the Hawks while only coughing up the ball nine times.

NC Central has a short turnaround hosting Howard University on Saturday, March 1 at 4 p.m. in McDougald-McLendon Arena. Seven players will be honored for senior day.

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