Feb. 16, 2010

Final Stats

CLINTON, S.C. - North Carolina Central University (8-15) snapped its winless skid against Big South Conference opponents today as the Lady Eagles defeated Presbyterian College (5-19) in a down to the wire battle, slipping by the Blue Hose to claim a 57-56 victory in the Templeton Center.

NCCU faced four different Big South opponents before today and stood winless against that powerful conference. The victory over Presbyterian gave the Lady Eagles their first win over the Big South this season and snapped the Blue Hose's three-game home winning streak. NCCU improved to 8-15 on the season.

Three student-athletes combined for 40 points as they each recorded double-digits in scoring to anchor the Lady Eagle offense. NCCU put on a better shooting performance than the host, dominating in field goal percentage, 3-point field goal percentage and free throw percentage. They even out-rebounded the Blue Hose, 33-30.

Shanise Blanks hit five 3-pointers to notch 15 points on the night, while adding a career-high five steals. Latoya Bennett followed with 13 points and led on the boards with seven rebounds. Danielle DeBerry rounded out the top scorers with 12 points, while dishing a career-high eight assists.

The NCCU bench outscored the Presbyterian bench, 30-27, while leading in fast break points. Defensively, the Lady Eagles held the Blue Hose to less than 40 percent from the field and under 25 percent from long range. They forced 16 turnovers and added 11 steals.

Despite NCCU putting on a better shooting performance, both teams were evenly matched throughout the ballgame. Both teams earned 26 points in the paint and scored 15 points off turnovers. A one-point advantage in the first half was all it took for NCCU to claim the win as both teams scored 28 points in the second half.

Presbyterian had three student-athletes score in double-digits as well. Kristen Stevens led the way with a game-high 16 points. Shonda Burnside added 12 points and tied with Dria David in rebounds with six. Lea Smith rounded out the Blue Hose top scorers with 10 points. David also had five steals to contribute on defense.

The Blue Hose forced 22 NCCU turnovers with 11 steals, but struggled to stop a Lady Eagle offense that shot 46.9 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from 3-point land.

In a first half battle that seemed to belong to the Blue Hose, the Lady Eagles managed to squeeze some last minute energy into an offensive dominance that would give them a one-point lead at intermission. Presbyterian broke out to a 15-2 lead within the first 6:57 of play until a layup by DeBerry sparked an 11-0 run that put the Lady Eagles within two.

Presbyterian managed to hold on to a lead for the next seven minutes and 10 seconds. A layup by Blaire Houston at the 2:31 mark gave NCCU its first lead of the game as the Lady Eagles went up, 25-24. Even with the Blue Hose in close proximity, the Lady Eagles refused to back down and went into the break leading 29-28.

The second half was much different as it saw four tied scores and two lead changes. Presbyterian came out of the break with a quick free throw to tie the game at 29, but NCCU quickly answered back to stay ahead. The next tie came shortly after with a shot by Burnside, which started a 4-0 run that gave the Blue Hose their second lead of the game. At the 15:03 mark, the game saw its third tie after Destiny Tolliver nailed a jumper, but the Blue Hose managed to stay ahead for one last play.

NCCU tied the game at 35 at the 14:01 mark and took the final lead of the game at the 12:35 mark when Bennett sunk back-to-back free throws. A 3-pointer by Blanks gave the Lady Eagles an eight-point lead, their largest lead of the game. Presbyterian continued to battle hard, refusing to go down without a fight.

The Blue Hose got within one with 1:37 left in regulation. DeBerry tried to seal the deal with a layup that put NCCU up 57-54 with 1:15 left to go. Out of a timeout, Smith hit a quick two to put Presbyterian within one with 59 seconds on the clock. A Houston turnover would give Presbyterian one last chance to take the game.

With 31 seconds remaining on the clock, an aggressive defense from the Lady Eagles kept the Blue Hose grounded as they failed to get a basket, giving NCCU a 57-56 win.

Presbyterian dropped to 5-19 on the season and is on a two-game losing skid. NCCU improved to 8-15 on the season and now stands at 1-0 against the Blue Hose. The Lady Eagles are now two victories shy of tying their winning record from last season with six games left in the season.

NCCU will return to the hardwood on Saturday, Feb. 20 when they host the Chicago State Cougars in McDougald-McLendon Gymnasium. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. as the Lady Eagles host their second annual Eagles 4 A Cure game. Saturday's game is part of NCCU's participation in the WBCA Pink Zone campaign.

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