DOVER, Del. — In a thrilling climax to Monday night’s matchup, Robert Smith led the charge for Delaware State, scoring 24 points and facilitating the game-winning basket with a timely assist to Javarzia Belton. This crucial layup sealed an 86-84 overtime victory against North Carolina Central.
The tension mounted as Po’Boigh King of North Carolina Central nailed two free throws with just 37 seconds on the clock, leveling the score at 84-84. As the game heated up, Delaware State’s Kaseem Watson attempted a jumper with only 10 seconds left, but he missed. The rebound was snatched by Martaz Robinson, who saw his shot blocked out of play by Perry Smith Jr. with a mere four seconds on the clock. This dramatic sequence set up Belton’s decisive layup.
Earlier, Aquan Smart sent the game into overtime with a stunning half-court 3-pointer, tying the score at 75 as the buzzer sounded. Smart left his mark on the game by scoring nine points in total.
Smith demonstrated exceptional accuracy, hitting 9 out of 15 shots overall, including 3-for-5 from beyond the arc, while confidently making 3 of 5 from the line for the Hornets, who now sit at 14-12 overall with a 6-5 record in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Though Robinson faced challenges, making just 2 out of 10 attempts from the floor, he was nearly perfect from the free-throw line, converting 10 of his 12 attempts to add 14 points to their tally. Belton also made significant contributions with 14 points on efficient 6-for-9 shooting.
For the Eagles, King wrapped up his performance with 23 points. Smith Jr. was a powerhouse, contributing 20 points, grabbing 13 rebounds, and blocking two shots, while Keishon Porter added 10 points to North Carolina Central’s effort, leaving them at 11-16 overall and 4-6 in conference play.
