N.C. Central comes up short in doubleheader against Howard

On Jan. 17 a crowd of more than 2,300 people watched as the Howard Bison defeated the Eagles 83-69. 

The matchup featured two teams with almost entirely new rosters, with the Bison bringing back just three returners from last season, one fewer than NCCU’s four. The Eagles entered the game undefeated in conference play, while Howard came in at 1-2.  

The matchup carried added weight for both teams as conference standings began to take shape. 

Both teams looked to set the tone early. The Bison scored the first points of the game, with many of their early baskets coming off fast-break opportunities and second-chance points, which proved to be an issue for the Eagles throughout the game. 

N.C. Central kept the game close throughout the first half with a strong defensive performance and five 3-pointers. Seniors Tekao Carpenter and Khouri Carvey combined for 19 of the Eagles’ 32 first-half points. Carpenter knocked down three shots from beyond the arc and added a basket inside, while Carvey scored all of his points in the paint. 

There were four lead changes in the first half, but a late 3-pointer from graduate student Bryce Harris gave Howard a three-point lead at halftime that continued to grow. The energy inside McDougald-McLendon Arena faded as the Bison led by as many as 18 points in the second half. Howard’s rebounding advantage proved decisive, as it outrebounded the Eagles 43-31, leading to 21 second-chance points and 17 fast-break points. 

Sophomore guard Gage Lattimore led an Eagles run to keep the game within reach, cutting the deficit to seven points at the 10:23 mark of the second half. The run briefly shifted momentum and energized the crowd, but Howard responded with another scoring surge to regain control and go on to win the game. 

Lattimore finished with 14 points, second on the team behind Carpenter’s 21-point performance. 

Following the loss, the Eagles sit second in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference at 3-1 and 7-11 overall. NCCU will face the Delaware State Hornets next on Jan. 24 at 4:30 p.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN+. 

Women’s Basketball 

N.C. Central Women’s basketball fell 69-61 to Howard Saturday afternoon at home after a hard-fought game on both sides of the court.   

The Lady Eagles conference record dropped to  0-4 and their position in the Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference fell to seventh place with a 3-14 overall record. 

The game got off to a slow start, with neither team scoring a field goal until 7:44 left in the first quarter, with a lay-up from Howard’s junior forward Zennia Thomas. NCCU wouldn’t score its first field goal until 4:59 left in the quarter. 

Going into the second quarter, both teams increased their intensity and ran up the score to 31-28 in favor of the Lady Bisons by the end of the first half. The Lady Eagles’ season-long struggles with ball movement and decision-making persisted, with nine turnovers in the first half and 26 for the game.  

The Eagles cleaned up some of those mistakes by the second half, putting together an improved offensive performance, led by graduate forward Morgan Callahan, scoring 13 points and seven rebounds, and senior guard Najah Lane with 11 points of her own.  

Junior guard Aysia Hinton splashed in three 3s, leading the team’s impressive three-point performance with seven three-pointers made to Howard’s three 3-pointers. 

The Eagles lead in both three-point and overall field goal percentage at 43%. The free throws, though, made the difference for the Lady Bison with 22-29 free throws to NCCU’s 10-18 free throws.  

The Lady Eagles, still searching for their first conference win, host the University of Maryland Eastern Shore on Thursday, Jan. 22 at 6:30 p.m. The game will stream on ESPN+. 

Written by Daijah Boyd and Amiya Neal.