WASHINGTON -- Dajuan Graf and Patrick Cole each scored 17 points, and North Carolina Central won its 12th straight with a 66-59 victory over Howard on Monday night.

NCCU led throughout the first half and built a 13-point lead by the 15-minute mark of the second half. Howard rallied to take its first lead at 58-56 with 7:14 to go, but NCCU scored the next nine points during a game-closing 10-1 run.

Rashaun Madison added 11 points and Del'Vin Dickerson had 10 points and seven rebounds for NC Central (21-6, 12-1 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference). Cole grabbed 11 rebounds and Graf had seven boards and eight assists. Kyle Benton, who was named the MEAC defensive player of the week earlier Monday, grabbed six of his nine rebounds on the offensive end.

Solomon Mangham led Howard (7-21. 4-9) with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Howard was just 4 of 23 from distance and shot 32.8 percent overall.