Dominique Sutton scored 13 points and North Carolina Central took control in the second half Tuesday for a 60-43 first-round victory over Maryland-Eastern Shore in the first round of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament.
Ebuka Anyaorah added 11 points for fifth-seeded North Carolina Central (17-14), which moved into the quarterfinals of its first MEAC tournament after completing its transition to Division I. Justin Leemow had 10 points, including a pair of 3-pointers at the end of a 12-0 run that produced a 43-28 lead with 14:24 remaining.
A layup by Anyaorah, followed by Nick Chasten's 3-pointer, started a 9-0 first-half run that gave the Eagles a 24-16 lead. They never trailed after that, although the 12th-seeded Hawks (7-23) cut the lead to three points, 29-26, at halftime.
Percy Woods scored six of his 17 points for Maryland-Eastern Shore in the final 4:08 of the first half.
