DURHAM, N.C. – Up by 21 points at the half, North Carolina Central withstood Morgan State's second-half push, winning 80-76 on Monday evening at McDougald-McLendon Arena. All five starters finished in double figures for the Eagles.

NC Central (10-14, 6-3 MEAC) was led by Gage Lattimore, who finished with 21 points. Dionte Johnson had 16 points, five rebounds, and five assists. Jae Slack (14), Kelechi Okworogwo (11) and Kyric Davis (10) also made an impact. Davis also grabbed 10 boards for a double-double. The Eagles now have back-to-back wins over the Bears for the first time since 2022.

Morgan State (10-14, 6-3 MEAC) came into the game on a six-game winning streak that started after the Bears' first loss to NCCU in January.  

The Eagles ran the show in the first half, shooting 16-of-30 (53.3 percent) from the field. Lattimore was on fire, going 5-of-6 from beyond the arc to finish with 17 through the first 20 minutes. NCCU held Morgan State to 24.3 percent shooting in the opening half.

NC Central used a 13-0 run to extend its lead after the Bears got within five points with 4:43 left until halftime. The Eagles entered the break leading 51-30.

The tide would begin to turn in the second half as Morgan State chipped away at the lead, fueled by NCCU turnovers and fastbreak points. The Eagles turned it over 11 times in the second half, as the Bears scored 18 points as a result.

MSU's Elijah Davis scored 17 of his 25 points in the second half as he led the Bears and was relentless in getting to the rim. Morgan State shot 47.1 percent in the final 20 minutes.

With 5:11 left, the Bears shrank the deficit to single digits, down 75-66. MSU then scored five straight points, getting within four. Both teams were in the bonus to end the game so free throws were crucial. After a made layup by MSU's Davis to bring the score to 78-74, Walter Peggs Jr. would get fouled, making both shots (78-76).

The Bears then fouled Lattimore, who has spent most of the season as the top free-throw shooter in the MEAC by percentage. He knocked down both with seven seconds to go. Okworogwo had a huge block on the Bears' final three-point attempt to seal the deal for the Eagles, winning 80-76.     

NC Central is on the road the rest of the month, starting at South Carolina State on Wednesday, Feb. 18 at 8 p.m.