NCCU Races Past Norfolk State Advances To MEAC Title Game

NORFOLK, Virginia  –  Step two of three is complete for North Carolina Central University, as the regular season champions used an 11-0 second half run coupled with four Eagles in double figures, and the typical solid defensive effort to outlast Norfolk State 68-45 in the semifinals of the 2014 MEAC Basketball Tournament on Friday night inside the Norfolk Scope Arena in Norfolk, Va.

The win places the maroon and gray in the MEAC Tournament Championship game, the first in in any conference since Feb. 28, 2004 and gives NCCU 19-straight victories, one shy of tying the school record, which was set during the 1987-88 season.

In meeting No. 37 between these two programs both teams struggled early on the offensive end as the Eagles started 4-for-17 (23.5 percent) from-the-field, but a Jeremy Ingram (Charlotte, N.C.) three-pointer gave the maroon and gray a seven point cushion with 4:58 to go.

NCCU led much of the first frame and took a 32-24 advantage into the locker when redshirt senior Ebuka Anyaorah (Suwanee, Ga.) dropped in a layup with 12 seconds left.

The second half proved to be the turning point for the Eagles as the maroon and gray went a 11-0 run to spread the margin out to 19 at 43-24 following Jordan Parks (Queens, N.Y.) layup with 15:44 to go.  The Spartans did not score their first second half field goal until Pendarvis Williams drilled a three-pointer with 15:03 to go.

NSU was never able to make a dent in the Eagle advantage as head coach LeVelle Moton's squad led by as much as 23 on the way to a 68-45 win.

The maroon and gray defense was stellar once again as they held second team All-MEAC performers Williams and Malcolm Hawkins to 12 points and six points respectively.

On the other hand, NCCU got contributions from eight different Eagles as Ingram finished with an efficient 14 points, going 3-for-6 from-the-field, 2-for-2 from three-point range, and 6-for-6 from the charity stripe.  Parks also finished with 14 points for the maroon and gray, while point guard Emanuel Chapman (Raleigh, N.C.)  added 13 points and four assists.  Junior Karamo Jawara (Bergen, Norway) scored 11 points and set a new career-high with 7 assists in the win

NCCU (27-5, 15-1 MEAC) takes on Morgan State in the 2014 MEAC Championship Game on Saturday evening at 6:00 p.m. from the Norfolk Scope Arena in Norfolk, Va.  The Eagles will be looking to end a 64-year old drought as the maroon and gray have not won a conference tournament championship since 1950.

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Box Score

Chris Hooks, Assistant Sports Information Director/Broadcast Media Coordinator             
NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION