Box Score NCCU vs. Coker College

DURHAM, N.C. (www.NCCUEaglePride.com) – In a battle of eight ties, seven lead changes, a first-half three-point deficit and a 17-7 Coker run over six minutes of play, the North Carolina Central University women’s basketball team maintained its second-half lead to clench a 65-64 victory over Coker College on Wednesday, Dec. 14 in McDougald-McLendon Gym for their second win of the season.

NCCU offensive leader junior Chasidy Williams topped the night with 25 points and 11 rebounds four her fourth double-double of the season, while senior Blaire Houston and junior Jasmine Alston, who was 2-of-3 from the long range, finished the night with eight points apiece.  Maroon and gray freshman Kabrina Truesdale pulled down a career-high 11 rebounds, lobbed a career-high five assists and stole two Coker possessions.

The Cobras hit the hardwood with offensive poise, cruising to a 12-5 run for a five-point margin by the 12:41 mark.  A jumper by mighty maroon sophomore Tenika Neely created a 15-point tie at the 8:45 mark, nonetheless Coker refused to surrender its lead pacing to a 10-7run for halftime score of 25-22.

With under a minute remaining in the halftime intermission, the mighty maroon returned to the hardwood ready to show the fans and the Cobras that contest would not end without a battle.  Alston netted the first shot of the half, sinking a three-pointer within the first minute of play to tie the contest for the fourth time.  Williams initiated her 20-point second-half outing with a layup at the 18:18 mark for the first NCCU lead of the half.

Over the next three minutes of play, the Lady Eagles and the Cobras varied between five lead changes and two ties, before NCCU paced to an 11-2 run for a 10-point margin lead at the 9:10 mark.  By the 5:59 mark, the maroon and gray were ahead by 11 points.

Coker’s second leading scorer of the night Jasmine Alston, who finished the contest with 16 points, paced the Cobras on 17-7 run to chisel away the double-figure NCCU margin lead.  A layup by Amber Lau, who finished with a double-double of 18 points and 12 rebounds, gridlocked the contest at 64 points apiece with 19 seconds left on the clock.

A foul by Coker’s Alston sent Williams to the charity stripe for two shots, as the Lady Eagle scoring leader dropped 1-of-2 of her shots from the free-throw line, the mighty maroon found themselves ahead by one-point, 65-64.

With one-second remaining on the clock, Lau attempted a jumper inside the paint for the win, only to hit the front end of the rim and secure the second NCCU win of the 2011-12 campaign.

In the second-home victory of the season, the Lady Eagles were 42 percent from the field on 27-of-65 shooting, 2-of-8 from behind the arc, and 47 percent from the charity stripe, 9-of-19. 

Along with Lau’s double-double and Alston’s 16 points, Kelley Godbout added an additional double-double with 14 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.  Heidi Kristmundsdottir circulated five assists and stole four NCCU possessions, while Lau blocked one shot.  The Cobras were 41 percent from the field on 26-of-64, 6-of-22 from the long range, and 50 percent from the free-throw line, 6-of-20.

On the season, the maroon and gray advances to 2-8 and obtains the opening series victory, Coker drops to 0-7.

The Lady Eagles will conclude the first-half of the season with two South Carolina contests, traveling to Clemson on Saturday Dec. 18 and Winthrop on Wednesday, Dec. 21, followed by a home matchup against Gardner-Webb on Wednesday, Dec. 28 and concluded with a  trip to Tar Heel country on Friday, Dec. 30 to battle #17 North Carolina.

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