Box Score

DURHAM, N.C.- Chris Linton had 13 points, eight rebounds and five assists to help Savannah State win its first road game of the season, a 61-57 victory over fellow Independent North Carolina Central.

 

The 1,524 fans at McLendon-McDougald Gym saw SSU improve to 11-11 while the Eagles slipped to 2-22.

 

Leading by one point, the Tigers went on a 13-4 surge to grab a 21-11 lead with 9:38 left in the opening half.

 

NCCU battled back and tied the game at 26 with 3:03 remaining before the Tigers received a 3-pointer from Patrick Hardy with just over a minute left on the clock.

 

Savannah State led 29-28 at the break.

 

SSU shot 54.5 perent from the floor in the opening period and 56.5 percent for the game.

 

The Tigers scored the first five points of the second half to go ahead by six.

 

A pair of free throws by Central's Brian Ayala cut SSU's lead to four but a 20-5 run by Savannah State gave the visitors a 54-35 lead with 8:55 on the clock.

 

Central would go on a 12-3 run to close their gap to 10 with 5:23 remaining but Savannah State would close the contest with a 10-4 run.

 

After shooting 46.2 percent from the floor in the first half, NCCU dipped to only hit 7-of-20 shots in the second half and were held to just eight rebounds.

 

Jovonni Shuler added 12 points for the Tigers while Louis Arnold came off the bench to spark the team with 11 points and a game-high nine rebounds.

 

SSU out-rebounded the Eagles 38 to 18.

 

Jamar Briscoe led NCCU with a game-high 28 points.