ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (Feb. 13, 2019) – Lincoln University erased a 17-point second-half deficit to steal a 70-68 CIAA win over Elizabeth City State in the Robert L. Vaughan Center.
 
Lion junior guard Cameron Campbell hit a driving reverse layup with 31 seconds left to put the visitors ahead, 69-68, just 20 seconds after the Vikings had wrested the lead back for the first time in four and a half minutes. 
 
The Vikings had chances to come away with a win in the final ticks, but a pair of missed free throws by junior center Tyjhai Byers and a loose ball on the ensuing rebound forced ECSU to foul Campbell with 6.3 seconds left.  Campbell made his first free throw try but his second was rebounded by sophomore guard Shykeef Daniels.  The Vikings pushed the ball up the floor, but Daniels' desperation 3-point attempt fell short and left of its target at the buzzer.
 
Junior forward John Maynor, who finished with a dozen points, hit a layup following a steal by Byers to give ECSU its last lead at 68-67 with 51 seconds on the clock.
 
The Vikings (12-13, CIAA 8-5, North Div. 2-5) seemed in complete control when junior center Joseph Allen had a steal and a dunk to boost ECSU's lead to 47-30 with 15 minutes remaining.
 
Freshman guard Zahrion Blue had eight of his game-high 19 points and sophomore center Jordan Camper netted seven of his 14 points to fuel a 23-6 Lion run which leveled the score at 53-53 with 9:17 remaining.  Blue also added six rebounds, three assists and three steals to his game totals.
 
It was nip and tuck from that point until the final buzzer.
 
Sophomore guard Justin Faison, who hit three of nine 3-point attempts, and senior guard Corey Mendez paced the Vikings with 15 points apiece.  Mendez added seven rebounds and a game-high seven assists to his line.
 
Allen totaled 10 points, five rebounds and a game-high five blocked shots while Byers racked up six points and a team-high nine rebounds.
 
Camper netted 14 points for Lincoln (13-12, CIAA 6-8, North Div. 2-5) which pulled ahead of the Vikings in the divisional race by earning a sweep of the regular-season series.  The Lions took a 76-66 decision in Pennsylvania in January.
 
Sophomore forward Maurice Waters collected eight points and a game-high nine rebounds for the Lions while senior guard Gevon Arrington tallied nine points.
 
UP NEXT:
ECSU travels to Virginia State on Saturday and Virginia Union on Wednesday for key CIAA women's-men's doubleheaders before closing out the regular season against Bowie State on Feb. 23.
 
The Viking women battle the Trojans at 2 p.m. Saturday in Petersburg before the men's game tips off at 4.  The men fell to Virginia State, 69-54, in the first meeting between the teams on Jan. 26 in the Vaughan Center.