Jan. 23, 2010

Final Stats

ASHEVILLE, N.C. - Despite three student-athletes scoring in double-figures, the University of North Carolina Asheville Bulldogs (6-13) gave the North Carolina Central University Lady Eagles (6-12) all they could handle in a dogfight that snapped the Lady Eagles' four-game winning streak as they fell, 64-58, Friday night in Asheville.

The Justice Center proved to be a tough place for the Lady Eagles, once again, as they stand winless within the confines of that arena. Both teams put on a hard fought battle with each team having something to prove. NCCU looked to keep its winning streak alive, while Asheville hoped to snap its five-game losing skid.

The Lady Eagles had three student-athletes score in double-figures to anchor the offense, but it wasn't enough to fight off the nagging Bulldogs. Joanna Miller put on an impressive show in the first half, scoring 15 points off a 7-for-12 shooting outing, but that was all the action the freshman would see as she struggled to buy a basket in the second half, finishing the game with a team-high 16 points.

Shanise Blanks continued her stroke from 3-point land, adding 12 points to the mix with all 12 coming from behind the arc. Blaire Houston rounded out the scoring leaders with 10 points on the night. She earned four of those points from the charity stripe, contributing to the Lady Eagles' 58.8 percent free throw percentage.

Houston was the difference maker in the ballgame, allowing her teammates to get involved in the action. She finished with a season-high seven assists. Danielle DeBerry struggled to get in the scoring game, but contributed in other ways, including on the defensive end, where she tallied a game-high five steals.

Both teams came into the matchup on a level playing field, matching up fairly closely statistically, but Asheville proved to be tougher on the boards, grabbing 50 rebounds, 19 off the offensive glass. Defensively, the Lady Eagles held strong with 16 steals and seven blocks, forcing 30 Bulldog turnovers.

Asheville was led by the dynamic duo of Chioma Okoli and Lindsey Montgomery, who lead the Bulldogs in just about every category. Okoli notched a double-double with a game-high 24 points and 14 rebounds, while also dishing five assists. Her partner in crime Montgomery notched a double-double with 13 points and 14 boards.

The game was a dogfight from the tip with each team battling for possession of the basketball. The first stanza alone saw four tie scores and three lead changes. UNCA had 20 turnovers in the first half, while NCCU had 15.

Asheville jumped out to a 14-5 run to start the game, earning their largest lead of the half at the 14:11 mark, where they led by nine. NCCU quickly picked up the pace and sparked an 11-2 run to tie the game at 16 at the 10:17 mark, which marked the first tie of the game. NCCU went up at the 9:26 mark off a layup by Miller, which earned the Lady Eagles their first lead of the game.

The Bulldogs did not let that last long as they pulled back out in front to lead by as many as eight with 3:21 left in the half. NCCU refused to back down, going on a 9-0 run to close out the half, taking a 33-32 lead as the clock struck 00:00. The Lady Eagles went into the locker room with a one-point lead, after trailing the majority of the first half.

For both teams, the second half wasn't much different as the battle continued with both teams putting forth an unbelievable effort on both sides of the ball. It took 1:05 for a team to score coming out of intermission and that team was Asheville, who took a one-point lead.

Asheville managed to stay in control for the whole second half, but it wasn't easy for the Bulldogs, who faced an aggressive and scrappy Lady Eagle defense. NCCU kept the game within reach, allowing the Bulldogs to lead by as many as seven within the first 4:05 of the half before tying the game at 42 at the 13:42 mark.

NCCU would even the score once again at the 11:58 mark, but unfortunately, that was the last tie of the game as Asheville managed to jump out in front and stay within a few points of the Lady Eagles for the rest of regulation. The Bulldogs got up by nine, their largest lead of the game, at the 6:56 mark after going on a 9-0 run.

Time slowly began to dwindle down as the Lady Eagles continued to fight, struggling to get their shots through the net. NCCU got within two at the 2:58 and 50 second marks to keep hope alive. A 3-pointer by Grace Blaylock put Asheville up by five with 23 seconds left in the game. With nothing left to do but foul, NCCU put two shooters on the foul line, which extended the Bulldog lead to eight with 10 seconds left. DeBerry hit a layup with four seconds on the board to give Asheville a six-point margin as NCCU fell, 64-58.

NCCU shot 36.2 percent from the field and 31.6 percent from 3-point range, while Asheville hit 39.3 percent from the field and 45.5 percent from behind the arc.

The Bulldogs improved to 6-13 on the season and snapped their five-game losing skid. NCCU dropped to 6-12 on the season and was unable to keep their four-game winning streak alive. They are now 1-2 against the Bulldogs and 0-2 in the Justice Center.

The NCCU Lady Eagles will continue their journey as they battle a six-game road slate, playing six road games over the course of a month, not returning home until Feb. 20. NCCU will return to action when they travel to the state of Maryland to face the University of Maryland Eastern Shore on Wednesday, Jan. 27 in a rematch from earlier this season. Tip-off is slated for 6 p.m. UMES has a slight advantage in the series, standing at 1-2.

For more information on Lady Eagle basketball, visit the official website of NCCU Athletics at www.NCCUEaglePride.com.