DURHAM, N.C. – With 20 seconds left in overtime, North Carolina Central University ahead by one at 71-70, redshirt senior Reggie Groves (Raleigh, N.C.) drilled a game-clinching three-pointer from close to 25-feet out that sent the crowd of 2,482 inside McDougald-McLendon Gym into a frenzy as the Eagles outlasted the Mountaineers of Appalachian State University in overtime 76-70 to earn their fourth straight win.

Judging from the beginning of the game, the first meeting between NCCU and Appalachian State seemed one-sided as the Eagles jumped out to a 15-2 lead through the first five minutes. 

The Mountaineers struggled from the field in the first stanza recording just five field goals and shooting 20.0 percent and trailed through the final sixteen minutes of the first frame by double figures.  It took App State close to seven minutes to record their first field goal by Tevin Baskin with 13:13 left.

NCCU stretched the lead out to 15 points at 26-11 on a three-pointer by Jeremy Ingram using that momentum to cruise to the 32-18 halftime lead.

The script flipped in the second stanza to the visiting Mountaineers who gathered steam while the maroon and gray cooled down. 

With the Eagles playing their third game of the week, App State kept chipping away, eventually cutting the margin to single digits on a hoop-and-the-harm by point guard Chris Burgess.

Trailing by eight at 39-31 with 14:57 left, a Tommy Spagnolo’s layup following Jeremy Ingram’s charge on the other end saw Appalachian trailing by six at 39-33.

Ingram’s three-pointer with 12:09 left followed up by an original three-point play put the maroon and gray cushion to 13, but the Mountaineers had an answer going on a 10-5 over the next four minutes to cut the margin to three at 53-50 on Tevin Baskin’s layup.

With 5:51 to go, Burgess’s final three of the night gave Appalachian their first lead of the evening at 55-54 setting the stage for the back-and-forth waning moments. 

The final five-plus minutes saw five ties and five lead changes, but Frank Eaves’ three-pointer gave App State a two-point lead with 1:00 remaining.

Down two, the Eagles earned two extra possessions of the basketball on clutch offensive rebounding, which allowed Ingram’s drive down the left baseline tie the game at 63 with 7.2 seconds left.

Read the full story at NCCUEaglePride.com.

Additional Recaps to Come:

Savannah State 71, Grand Canyon 72

Morgan State 59, La Salle 78