HAMPTON, Va. – Anthony McDonald scored a team-high 17 points, all after intermission, as North Carolina Central University overcame a 12-point second-half deficit to capture a 59-52 road win at Hampton University on Monday night inside the HU Convocation Center.
NCCU (14-5, 6-0 MEAC) remains the only unbeaten team in conference play and extends its win streak to eight games.
It was a tale of two halves. Hampton (8-10, 4-2 MEAC) stormed out to a 28-18 halftime advantage, holding the MEAC’s top scoring team to a season-low 18 points at the break, as six Eagles found foul trouble with at least two each.
The Pirates’ advantage reached 12 points, 34-22, three minutes into the second half, but that’s when the tide started to turn. Slowly during the next 11:24, sparked by sharp three-point shooting, the Eagles out-scored the Pirates 26-12 to take a 48-44 lead on a layup by McDonald at the six-minute mark. McDonald tallied half of NCCU’s points during the game-changing spurt.
Hampton never recovered.
After shooting 30.4 percent (7 of 23) in the first half, NCCU more than doubled its scoring efficiency in the second half, connecting on 66.7 percent (12 of 18) field goals, including 5 of 8 from long distance.
Dante Holmes scored 15 points for the Eagles, Nimrod Hilliard added 11 points and six assists, and Karamo Jawara grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds.
Dwight Meikle led Hampton with 26 points and eight rebounds. The Pirates shot 35.2 percent from the field (19 of 54), while making just one three-pointer on 17 attempts.
Up next, NCCU returns home on Saturday, Jan. 24 to play Coppin State at 4 p.m. inside McDougald-McLendon Gym, where the Eagles have won 29 straight, the third-longest home win streak in NCAA Division I.
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