Newark, N.J. (Dec. 18, 2021) ---North Carolina Central took advantage of Delaware State's 11^th hour call to serve as a fill-in at the 2021 HBCU Legacy Classic with a wire-to-wire 86-53 victory over the Hornets in the star-studded event at Prudential Arena this afternoon.
DSU accepted an invitation on Friday to replace Hampton in the four-team event, whose backers include tennis great Serena Williams and actor Michael B. Jordan.  Hampton was forced to opt out of the event due to Covid protocols. 
The HBCU Legacy doubleheader, which featured Howard University and North Carolina A&T in the second game, was televised live on Turner Network Television (TNT) and broadcast by network personalities Grant Hill (former NBA star and basketball Hall of Famer), along with Stephanie Ready (NBA studio host/sideline reporter).
NCCU's Randy Miller led all players with 23 points on eight-for-12 shooting, including six-of-nine on three-point shots to help send the Hornets to their seventh straight loss.
Dontavius King and Kris Monroe added 16 points each for the Eagles. Monroe also grabbed a game-high seven rebounds, while Eric Boone dished out 13 assists to lead all players.
Myles Carter was high scorer for Delaware State with 18 points, while Dominik Fragala added 12.
John Stansbury, making his season debut, scored six points and shared the team lead with five rebounds for the Hornets.  Chris Sodom also grabbed five rebounds for DSU.
North Carolina Central led 49-24 at the break, and outscored the Hornets 37-29 in the final 20 minutes.
The Eagles hit 30 of their 62 shots from the field (48.4%), including 13-for-27 on three-point shots (48.1%).
Delaware State was 15-for-56 from the field overall (26.8%) and only three-of-22 from beyond the arc (13.6%).
NCCU won the rebound battle 44-40.
The Eagles scored 35 points off DSU's 19 turnovers, while the Hornets managed just 11 points of NC Central's 15 turnovers.
"Despite the outcome, we're extremely grateful for the experience of competing in the HBCU Legacy Classic," said Delaware State first-year head coach Stan Waterman. "It's an honor to represent Delaware State and HBCUs on such a grand scale. This event brings a great deal of attention to the history and outstanding service of our institutions, and it's a privilege for us to share in the experience."
Delaware State (2-8) returns to action on Monday (Dec. 20) at Wagner College. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. in Staten Island, N.Y.