North Carolina Central University

ATHLETICS

NCCU SAYS, "NOT IN OUR HOUSE" TO NO. 1 RANKED NCAA DIVISION II VIRGINIA UNION 
 
     DURHAM, NC  --  Coach Greg Jackson had his sleeves rolled up, his tie pulled down, and his top shirt button undone, unlike his normal dress-to-impress style, as he watched his North Carolina Central University Eagles and their fans swarm the court after their victory over the top-ranked team in the conference and in all of the NCAA Division II, the Virginia Union University Panthers, by a score of 53-46 inside of McLendon-McDougald Gymnasium on the campus of NCCU on Saturday night. 
     The Eagles of NCCU (14-6) were heard screaming and yelling shouts of joy in the locker room just minutes after the upset of VUU (21-2).  The players were tired, but nothing that Panthers' head coach Dave Robbins drew up seemed to be able to work against a motivated Eagles team. 
     The irony of this game is that NCCU held the usual "get out and run" style of VUU to just 35 percent shooting in the game.  VUU never captured a lead in the game, either.  The Eagles did allow the Panthers to come back at interval times to tie the game four times, but they were brief moments as NCCU always seemed to find a way to regain a lead. 
     As both teams headed to the proper locker rooms at the half, the scoreboard read that NCCU held an six point lead over VUU, 28-22. 
    The second half turned out to be the most important of the entire game, for both teams and the fans.  With the Eagles up by 11 points with 17 minutes remaining in the game, Kadiri Richard started to make an important comeback for the Panthers.  Richard scored on a dunk and a jumper during a 17-6 run to tie the game up at 39 with 8:22 left in the contest. 
     That was as close as the Panthers would come, however, as the Eagles responded with a 6-0 run from the four minute mark to push the lead to 50-43 with 36 ticks remaining. 
     One man who took the heart right out of the Panthers was Damon Lumpkin.  Lumpkin only scored nine points on the night, but they all came by way of three-pointers.  Two of Lumpkin's three-pointers were beyond NBA range, and they came with the shot clock under three seconds both times.  Coach Robbins could only tell his team to get a hand in his face after Lumpkin hit those shots. 
     Jimmy Boston, one of the league's top scorers and rebounders, missed Saturday's game with an injury.  Despite that fact, the Eagles still managed to come away victorious. 
       The NCCU players knew just how to play with the absence of Boston.  NCCU senior Warren Bell was given a lot of the responsibility of taking Boston's place.  "Coach told me to go out there and try to bang inside with their big boys," says Bell.  "We knew that we had to get back on defense.  We had to play the game, run the offense, and not let them get back on transition points, which they are very good at." 
     NCCU forward D.J. Ward led all scorers on the night with 12 points.  Ward says that this win ranks among his best victories in his career.  "They're a team that makes run, and you have to slow them down in transition," says the senior.  "Coach [Jackson] said for me not to be passive tonight.  So, I'm happy with this win." 
     Following Ward in double-digits was Bell with 11 points.  The Eagles' James Tucker finished the game with seven assists and two rebounds as an offensive weapon.   VUU's scoring was led by Mike Martin with 11 points. 
     The win will most certainly give NCCU all the emotion in the world going into Monday night's game against Saint Augustine's College inside of McLendon-McDougald Gymnasium at 7:30. 

Last Revised:  February 19, 2000