Karsceal Turner – I Got NEXT!
Malik Jackson scored 14 points in Bethune-Cookman’s 77-54 loss to Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference leading North Carolina Central Saturday. The Wildcats were reminded why NCCU is tops in the MEAC with a handful of games left in the regular season.
Reggie Groves dropped 15 points as the Eagles (17-5 overall, 8-1 MEAC) expanded their win streak to nine games while defeating the Wildcats (5-21, 3-8) for the sixth straight time in regular season play. It hurt me to write this. I can relate to the feelings B-CU has in losing this one as bad as they did. As I matter of fact, I had to take a shot of Jack Daniels to compose this.
The tone early was set
NCCU jumped out to a 21-7 lead in the first nine minutes aided by Groves, who drilled his first three shots from deep to get the Eagle offense rolling. NCCU led by as many as 13 in the first quarter and took that margin into the locker room with a 35-22 advantage.
Bethune-Cookman continued to fight in the second half, mounting a rally through the first three-and-a-half minutes as Malik Jackson’s three-pointer cut the margin to single digits at 41-32, but a minute later an Emanuel Chapman three-pointer and a Karamo Jawara dunk stretched the lead back to 14 at 48-34 with 14:27 to go.
The Wildcats were never able to get it within single digits again as the Eagles used a 14-8 spurt to make it a 20-point ballgame at 68-48 with 4:13 left following Groves’ fifth three-pointer of the game.
NCCU rolled from there to earn their ninth straight win on the year. The Eagles dominated in the paint 30-to-18 over the Wildcats, 24-to-10 in points off turnovers, and 12-to-4 in fast break points.
Mikel Trapp was good for 13 points, and Maurice Taylor 10 for the Wildcats. Trapp was 3-5 from three-point range.
Folks, I looked for a silver lining, a light at the end of the tunnel, SOMETHING, but there simply wasn’t any to be found. The lost completes a season sweep of the Wildcats by NCCU.
Sadly, things aren’t going to get any easier when B-CU faces 4-5 North Carolina A&T Monday. The Corbett Center will be rocking with cries of “Aggie Pride.” It can be a pretty imposing place. You gotta love Black College Basketball!
