NICEVILLE, FLA – Guards Kevin Johnson and Jeremiah Jefferson combined for 42 points as Nicholls State stopped a two-game losing streak with a 77-63 victory over North Carolina Central in the consolation round of the Emerald Coast Classic Friday.
The Colonels (3-4), in the midst of seven-game road trip, will face Western Michigan in the fifth-place game at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, while North Carolina Central (1-5) will play Southern at 10 a.m.
Johnson scored five points triggering a 13-4 run by Nicholls State that turned a 7-4 lead into a 20-8 advantage.
A late 5-0 run in the first half from North Carolina Central cut the Colonels lead to 32-27. Johnson and Jefferson responded to the Eagles comeback attempt scoring the last five points for Nicholls State.
Nicholls State, which hit 60.7 percent in the second half, jumped out to a 46-35 lead in the second half and didn’t look back. The Colonels maintained at least a 10-point lead for the remainder of the game.
Sophomore center Raasean Davis paced North Carolina Central, collecting his 13th career double-double. with 16 points and a season-high 16 rebounds. Randy Miller was the only other Eagle to post double figures, scoring 11 points.
Nicholls State shot 50.8 percent from the floor, while North Carolina Central shot 40 percent. The Eagles did outbound Nicholls State, 42-30.
