NORFOLK, Va. (AP) - Pablo Rivas had 22 points and North Carolina Central scored 11 in a row to break a 58-all tie and beat Hampton 71-63 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament championship on Saturday.
Jordan Perkins added 13 points and nine assists and John Guerra scored 12 for the Eagles (19-15), who earned the league's automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament for the third time in five years.
Malique Trent-Street scored 15 points to lead the Pirates (19-15), who also were seeking their third MEAC title in five years. Akim Mitchell and Greg Heckstall each added 11 points.
A 3-pointer by Kalin Fisher pulled Hampton even at 58-all with 4:24 to play, but the Pirates didn't score again until Trent-Street's layup with 18 seconds to go.
BIG PICTURE
N.C. Central: The Eagles have made winning a habit in recent years, and did so this year with two freshmen - Reggie Gardner Jr. (11.0 ppg) and Jordan Perkins (8.3 ppg, 5.4 apg) - figuring prominently in the backcourt. They combined with veterans Raasean Davis, Rivas and Guerra to make NCCU a dangerous team to take lightly in the postseason.
Hampton: The Pirates were sloppy with the ball in the closing minutes, ruining their chances at a victory in front of a partisan and pro-Hampton crowd. The Pirates also got little help from their bench, which was outscored 28-9 by the NCCU reserves.
UP NEXT
N.C. Central will head to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in five years.
The Pirates' loss leaves them hoping for an opportunity to continue playing in the NIT or a lesser tournament.
