Jan. 7, 2010

Final Stats

DURHAM, N.C. - Joanna Miller notched a season-high 32 points to lead the North Carolina Central University Lady Eagles (4-11) past the University of Maryland Eastern Shore Lady Hawks (2-7), 69-60, in the Battle of the Birds in McDougald-McLendon Gym, where NCCU earned their second-straight victory.

Coming into the matchup, the Lady Eagles stood winless against the powerful Lady Hawks, but it was a different outcome this time around as NCCU improved to 1-2 against UMES and now stands at 4-11 on the season. The Lady Hawks, who have struggled to find their rhythm, dropped their third straight, now sitting at 2-7 this season.

Miller, who had the first 30-point performance of her career, contributed significantly on defense, as well, with a season-high six steals. She wasn't the only one lighting it up. Junior Shanise Blanks was feeling it as she hit 3-for-4 from behind the arc to add to her 19 points, one-point shy of her career-high.

Aside from their offensive play, the Lady Eagles played well on both sides of the glass with 30 rebounds, just nine shy of the Lady Hawks. Their aggressive rebounding was anchored by senior Latoya Bennett, who grabbed double-digit boards for the second consecutive game. She tied her career-high with 16 rebounds.

The Lady Eagle defense forced 24 turnovers, scoring 22 points off of those turnovers. Their aggressiveness proved to be troublesome for the Lady Hawks, who struggled from long range, shooting 13.3 percent. NCCU did another great job of protecting the basketball as they tallied their third-straight game with only 17 turnovers

It was a hard fought battle on both sides of the ball as each team fought for a chance to win. UMES came out with more fire in the first half as they quickly went on a 9-0 run from the tip, while NCCU missed its first six baskets, which put them in a hole early. The Lady Hawks' 9-0 lead was their largest lead of the game.

Miller sparked a 7-0 run to put the Lady Eagles within two, 7-9. It didn't take long for NCCU to get back in the ballgame. A Blanks 3-pointer at the 13:20 mark earned the first tie of the game at 13-13 and she quickly followed that with another jump shot to give the Lady Eagles their first lead of the game at the 12:13 mark.

The first half saw a total of four tie scores and one lead change as NCCU stayed in front for the rest of the half, going into the break with a 36-31 lead. Miller had 14 of her 32 points in the first half, while Blanks had 15 going into intermission. Bennett was on her way to a dominating rebounding performance with eight boards in the half.

UMES came out of the break with another burst of energy, putting on a similar performance to the first four minutes of the previous half with five straight buckets to tie the game at 36. The Lady Hawks managed to get ahead at the 17:08 mark off a jumper by April McBride, but it didn't take long for the Lady Eagles to reclaim the lead, going on a 12-1 run to extend their lead to 10, their largest lead of the game, at the 13:34 mark.

From that point on, the Lady Eagles were in control of their destiny. UMES fought back to get within one on two occasions, but the pressure of NCCU's defense kept the battle alive. NCCU refused to go down without a fight and kept the Lady Hawks from getting out in front. NCCU went on a 13-3 run to close out the game.

UMES had three student-athletes score in double-digits, including Lady Hawk go-to player April McBride, who notched a double-double with 17 points and 16 rebounds to lead the way for the Lady Hawks. She was accompanied by Chena Parker with 13 points and Casey Morton with 10.

Going into the game, both teams matched up closely in every category and they proved that they can play with each other tonight in a hard fought battle. Both teams put on identical shooting performances, shooting the exact same percentage in each half. UMES and NCCU shot 41.1 percent (23-for-56) from the field, but the Lady Hawks had a slight advantage at the free throw line, going 12-for-14, while the Lady Eagles shot 14-for-17.

The Lady Eagles are in the midst of a long stretch of homes games. The Lady Eagles will return to the hardwood next week where they will continue their six-game home stand. They will host the Lady Bears of Shaw University on Wednesday, Jan. 13 at 6:30 p.m. Shaw and NCCU have quite a history, having faced each other 66 times over the years. Shaw has the advantage in the series with a 43-23 lead.

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

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: If you receive an error during playback, try selecting the HQ button in the menu below the video.