Kaylee SciaccaThe N.C. Central University men’s basketball team punched their ticket to NCAA March Madness for the second year in a row following a 71–63 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Championship win over no. 1 seed Hampton University.
The win, following wins earlier that week over Coppin State (no. 11), Savannah State (no. 3) and Morgan State (no. 7) at the Scope Arena in Norfolk, Va. proved to fans that being ranked no. 6 after the regular season didn’t mean that the Eagles weren’t the best team in the MEAC.
Standout performances from junior center Raasean Davis and senior forward Pablo Rivas throughout the tournament led to both players being named to the All-Tournament Team with a special distinction to Rivas also being named Most Outstanding Performer. Head coach LeVelle Moton, who will be going to the NCAA Tournament for the third time as head coach, was named Most Outstanding Coach.
NCCU will battle Southwestern Athletic Conference champion and fellow HBCU Texas Southern University on Wednesday at the UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio to earn the no. 16 spot for the West. The winner of that game will take on no. 1 Xavier.
Video provided by NCCU Athletics.
