DURHAM, N.C. (AP) Patrick Cole had 22 points, seven assists and six rebounds, Dajuan Graf scored 16 with four assists and North Carolina Central beat Florida A&M 78-73 on Monday night.
Del'vin Dickerson added 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting and Kyle Benton finished with eight points and 10 rebounds for NCCU, which has won 10 in a row for the first time since 2014-15.
Dickerson's 3-pointer with 14:16 to play put the Eagles (19-6, 10-1 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) in front, 46-43, for good. Graf and Cole scored five points apiece during an 11-3 run that pushed the lead into double figures six minutes later and NCCU held on from there. FAMU trimmed its deficit to five on four separate occasions, but couldn't get closer.
Desmond Williams scored 18 points and Justin Ravenel added 17, on 7-of-8 shooting, for the Rattlers (7-18, 5-7).
The Eagles shot 57.7 percent from the field in the second half and finished 18 of 25 from the free-throw line. FAMU made 11 of 20 foul shots.
Copyright 2017 by STATS LLC. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC is strictly prohibited.