NCCU’S SECOND-HALF SHOOTING WOES LET PIRATES SLIP AWAY WITH 58-50 VICTORY Kyle Serba 1/03/11

Wilkerson’s Game-High 19 Points Not Enough as Eagles Miss All 10 Second-Half Three-Pointers

DURHAM, N.C. (www.NCCUEaglePride.com) – North Carolina Central University let an eight-point second-half lead slip away as the host Eagles went ice cold from long range after intermission, allowing the visiting Pirates of East Carolina University to capture a 58-50 road victory inside McDougald-McLendon Gymnasium on Monday night.

The outcome ended streaks for both squads. For NCCU, the loss is its first at home in five outings. The Pirates, meanwhile, snap a four-game losing skid, including three straight setbacks on the road.

ECU (8-6) was topped by Jontae Sherrod with 17 points, while Jamar Abrams added 16 points and a team-best seven rebounds.

NCCU (5-7) was paced by C.J. Wilkerson with a game-high 19 points, followed by Landon Clement with 16 points. Nick Chasten had eight points to go along with a game-high 12 rebounds, marking the eighth time in his three-year Eagle career he has collected double-figure boards.

With the exception of five ties, ECU led the first 18 minutes of the contest until the Eagles scored eight unanswered points with a pair of three-pointers by Clement and a put-back by Marvin Fitzgerald in the final two minutes to take a 30-26 advantage into the locker room at halftime.

NCCU scored the first four points of the second stanza to take a 34-26 lead after a layup by Chasten at the 17:43 mark. ECU responded by netting the next six points in just a minute-and-a-half to trim the gap to 34-32 following a pair of free throws by Darrius Morrow at 16:13.

During the next 13 minutes, the lead changed hands seven times and there were seven ties before ECU received back-to-back three-point baskets by Corvonn Gaines and Abrams to put the Pirates ahead 53-47 with 3:18 left.

NCCU managed only a Wilkerson free throw and a Chasten put-back, the first field goal for the Eagles in nine minutes, the rest of the way. ECU converted 5-of-8 from the charity stripe to seal the victory.

After nailing 5-of-10 from long range in the first half, NCCU missed all 10 of its three-point shots in the second stanza. The Eagles shot just 22.2 percent (6-for-27) in the second half and finished the night with a 30.2 field goal percentage (16-of-53).

ECU, on the other hand, hit only 4-of-16 from behind the arc in the opening 20 minutes, but made half of its eight three-point attempts after intermission, finishing the contest shooting 33.3 percent from the field (15-of-45).

NCCU returns to action on Saturday (Jan. 8) with a home game against MEAC foe Delaware State at 4 p.m. ECU hits the road to play Memphis, also on Saturday at 4 p.m.