(Dominque Monday photo)
Texas Southern and North Carolina Central have been two of the best HBCU basketball programs in recent years, and both teams got solid non-conference wins over in-state schools on Wednesday.
TxSo held off a late surge by cross-town rival Rice to come away with 71-68 win thanks to a big night from Zach Lofton. Lofton scored 26 points and blocked a potential game-tying 3-pointer in the final seconds to preserve the win. Reigning SWAC Player of The Year Derrick Griffin added 16 points and 12 rebounds as the team improved to 2-1.
NCCU traveled to Western Carolina and came back from the mountains with a 67-59 win. Pablo Rivas was absolutely perfect for NCCU, scoring 18 points and grabbing nine rebounds without missing a single shot.
Virginia Union improved to 3-0 on the season with an impressive 90-63 win over Cheyney on Wednesday night. James Paige paced VUU with 18 points and 13 rebounds.