NCCU Eagles Back in Win Column to Finish Road Trip at Southeast Missouri State, 77-70

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Missouri – North Carolina Central University had to hold off a late run from Southeast Missouri State, but the Eagles finish their three-game, five-day road trip with a 77-70 win on Sunday, Nov. 26 at the Show Me Center.

For the third time this year, NCCU (3-5) shot over 50 percent, as the Eagles made 51.9 percent of their attempts (28-54).

NCCU scored first in the contest, and after trading buckets with SEMO (2-4) in the early stages, the Eagles cobbled together a 10-0 run to go in front and keep the lead all the way through the first half.

Jordan Perkins (Greensboro, N.C.) and Alston Jones (Kansas City, Mo.) started the game a combined 7-for-7 from the floor as they racked up eight points over that stretch, and Perkins finished the half with a team-high 12 points.

Over the first stanza, NCCU shot 55.2 percent from the floor (16-29), while holding SEMO to 37.9 percent (11-29).

NCCU hopped out of the gate in the second half playing the same refrain from the first half, as the Eagles rattled off a 6-0 run over the first two-and-a-half minutes. The Eagles led by as many as 16 in the second half, but SEMO turned the tide and built an 8-0 run of its own to pull within one at 59-58 with 8:40 remaining.

The Eagles were able to re-inflate the cushion, but SEMO made a late 6-0 run to again draw within five points with under three minutes remaining. But NCCU was able to make its free throws with help from Pablo Rivas (Colon, Panama) to hold off the Redhawks for a 77-70 final.

Raasean Davis (Chicago, Ill.) came up one point shy of his season-high, but notched his third double-double of the year with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Perkins came up shy of a double-double of his own with 13 points and seven assists. C.J. Wiggins (Richmond, Va.) collected 11 points, and Reggie Gardner, Jr. (Bowie, Md.) added 10.

Justin Carpenter (Mt. Carmel, Ill.) added a double-double for SEMO with 14 points and a game-high 11 rebounds, and he was joined in double-figures by Donnie Lewis (Lexington, Ky.) and Denzel Mahoney (Oviedo, Fla.) who each had 15.

NCCU finally heads back to The Nest to host Christendom on Thursday, Nov. 30.

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