Karsceal Turner-I Got Next!
The State of North Carolina has not been very hospitable to the B-CU Wildcats.
First, they were bashed by the Aggies in Greensboro on Saturday, then they traveled 55 minutes to get thrashed (literally), by the Eagles of North Carolina Central University in an 81-75 spanking. B-CU was determined to play aggressively but it simply was not to be. The Wildcats were defeated by their natural enemies…dogs and birds.
I mentioned a few weeks ago that this NCCU team had some bruisers on the roster and I can dig a little physicality on the court as much as any “baller”, but let’s face it folks; four technical fouls and a flagrant foul followed by an ejection in the first half is perhaps a tad excessive.
New rivalry on the horizon?
I believe we have a rivalry going on and B-CU is getting the doo-doo end of the stick, as in swept on the season by the Eagles. I think NCCU is still reeling from that 42-17 drubbing by the B-CU football squad. Anyway, the revenge is solid and the Wildcats slipped to 9-16 overall and 4-6 in league play. Folks, something tells me B-CU will meet this team again in March and I DON’T think they like one another.
Twice in one week, the Cats had to contend with a hostile North Carolinian crowd. Friends, I am fairly certain the McDougald-McLendon Gymnasium (a 3,056-seat multi-purpose arena on NCCUs campus) surely was the perfect, inhospitable host. I often revel in the intimidation factor of Richard V. Moore gymnasium in Daytona Beach. Things ain’t the same when the shoe is on the other foot. Dig this: 2,614 screaming Eagles fans as you shoot a free throw or pull the trigger on a trey.
Late NCCU threes puts game away from Cats
Enough banter, dig how this went down. After trading shots (and elbows), B-CU fell behind 8-0 and trailed 30-13 with 9:12 remaining. They cut a halftime deficit to 41-36 and then took a 42-41 lead with 8:49 remaining. B-CU showed its resolve by going on a 13-to-1 rally, effectively quieting the ruckus crowd and forcing NCCU head coach LeVelle Moton to take a 30 second timeout as the Wildcats tied the game at 63 all with 5:25 left. Add a couple of tri-fectas and a roof-raising dunk within the final four minutes with a crowd fit to burst and it equals a BLOODY ugly ride back to the Sunshine State for the Wildcats.
Adrien Coleman was 13-17 from the field for the Wildcats and dropped a career-high 31 points along with 10 boards. He matched his high but B-CU bloody lost. Kevin Dukes added 12 points, while Malik Jackson had 10; Paul Scotland dropped eight points and Alex Smith six points along with nine boards.
For NCCU, Jeremy Ingram scored a career-high 32 points to lead everybody. He also shot 17-for-20 from the free throw line. Ray Willis was good for 19 points in the crucial league win.
I’ll tell you this, B-CU will certainly be happy to play in front of their own raunchy ruckus-raising crowd. Take a deep breath; the next home game isn’t until Feb. 18 against Howard in historic Moore Gymnasium. It goes without saying that I will certainly be in the thickness of all the shenanigans with my camera in hand because I Got Next!
