Twenty years ago, N.C. Central accomplished something that made even the Dukies envious: win a national basketball championship.

The Blue Devils crossed the title threshold in 1991 by defeating Kansas for their first NCAA title, but it was the Eagles who hoisted up the first trophy in 1989 with a victory over Southeast Missouri State 73-46.

At the time, NCCU was a member of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, a Division II historically black conference. Only six HBCU teams have won national titles in the history of the NCAA. For the record, the Eagles didn't just play other HBCU teams to get to the final. They had to go through some of the top white teams in the South region like Sacred Heart and Jacksonville State.

But their toughest competition during their tournament run came from another CIAA opponent in Virginia Union. The Panthers had legendary coach David Robbins, who was to Union what Dean Smith was to North Carolina. Robbins won 713 games, 13 CIAA titles and three national titles in three different decades before retiring after 30 years.

On their '89 team were two future NBA draftees: A.J. English (then Washington Bullets) and Terry Davis (Miami Heat).

"A sportswriter told us whoever won that game [Union vs. NCCU] would win the national game and it was true," former player Fred "Pop" Bennett said.

If you want to get technical about it, 20 years and seven months have passed, but that didn't stop the alumni association from hosting a reunion gathering at Champs restaurant at Southpoint mall during homecoming. The group took over all the big TV screens in the restaurant to broadcast the game for the entire night. Earlier this year, the NCAA finally made the DVD available for public sale.

"I remember my parents calling me to tell me about the win," said NCCU Athletics Director Ingrid Wicker-McCree who was a college student at George Washington at the time. "They were ecstatic."

Miles Clarke, who was a forward on the team and was named tournament most valuable player, said the Eagles (28-4) were on a mission.

"Being in the middle of ACC country, we felt like we had something to prove," he said. "I had a lot of friends at Duke and UNC so I carried a chip on my shoulder."

Clarke was a top high school prospect but his propensity to skip class kept Division I recruiters away. NCCU was his second chance and he made the most of it.

Clarke scored 15 points and grabbed five rebounds in the game. Later, he signed a free-agent contract with the Milwaukee Bucks and played professionally in South America. He now owns a prep school in Greenville, N.C.

"Coach K [Duke's Mike Krzyzewski] got me my agent," he said.

For Bennett, the title was the cherry on a very tall cake.

"I grew up on NCCU's campus," he said. "At 7 years old, I started helping out with the football team and they took care of me, so playing ball there for me was just a big dream come true."

And speaking of Bennett, he is progressing nicely. Last March he underwent a liver transplant. I wrote about his recovery and the fundraising efforts to help offset his medical bills. His anti-rejection medication alone, which he'll have to take for the rest of his life, costs $2,500 a month.

But Bennett, who returned to work in September, isn't complaining.

"I'm feeling great; God is great," he said. "Two months into the job, and I'm doing just fine."