Las Vegas-N. Carolina Hold Off EIU

LAS VEGAS -- Eastern Illinois could not get the ball to bounce their way in the final minutes on Tuesday in Las Vegas as North Carolina Central held off the Panthers, 57-52 , in the final game of the Global Sports Classic.  EIU fell to 2-9 on the year.  NCCU improved to 4-8.

EIU returns home to Charleston and will take a few days off for the Holiday Break before hosting Hannibal-LaGrange on Monday, Dec. 28 at Lantz Arena.  The game will be December Dollar Daze promotion with $1 GA tickets, $1 Pepsi and $1 popcorn.  Game time is 7 p.m.

Leading 27-24 at the half, Jamal Ferguson extended the Eagles lead to 30-24 with a lay-up to open the second half.   The Panthers battled back and tied the game at 37-37 as A.J. Riley hit a 3-pointer.  Riley scored ten points, one of two EIU players in double figures.

Trae Anderson gave EIU its first lead since early in the game with a lay-up at 11:09.  The two schools traded the lead before Jeremiah Ingram gave NCCU the lead 44-41 with 8:33 to play.

EIU was unable to get a big shot to fall when it needed it over the final eight minutes.  The Panthers cut the lead to one possession six times but could not get the lead.  In the final 1:09 EIU was able to get to the line twice but converted only two free throws as NCCU held on to a 54-52 lead.
Eastern Illinois opened with a 5-0 run as Joe Kuligoski knocked down a 3-pointer and Anderson had a hook in the lane in the first 1:06 of the game.   Anderson scored ten first half points finishing the game with 15.

North Carolina Central answered with a 6-0 run of its own to take the lead.  Ingram scored three of his 13 points during the opening run.  Ingram’s tip-in on with 3:06 left in the first half gave NCCU its biggest lead of the first half at 25-20.

The two teams traded the lead seven times in the first half with NCCU leading 27-24 at the half as EIU missed two 3-pointers in the final 45 seconds and had one of its three first half turnovers on the final possession as time expired.   EIU was 1-of-9 on 3-pointers in the first half.   The Panthers were 5-of-22 for the game from beyond the arc.

Patrick Cole added 12 points for NCCU as the Eagles won the battle on the glass by a 36-22 margin with 15 second chance points.