Box Score BALTIMORE, MD. (www.NCCUEaglePride.com) - On Monday, Jan. 23, the Lady Eagles of North Carolina Central University proved that they are a Division I program ready to compete on any given  night, as three student-athletes in maroon and gray scored in double-figures and two of the those athletes achieved career-high outings in a 64-59 loss to Morgan State University in Baltimore, Md.

NCCU freshman Kabrina Truesdale led the mighty maroon with a career-high and team-high 16 points, as junior Chasidy Williams grasped her 15^th double-figure outing and her fifth double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, while redshirt sophomore Lakisha Evans dropped a career-high 10 points.  Truesdale contributed to MSU’s 21 turnovers with a team-high four steals.   

MSU built an early six-point (8-2) lead to open the contest built on the efforts of post player Amarah Williams, who led the Lady Bears with 19 points in the win.

But, with a timeout by head coach Joli Robinson at 16:04 mark, the Lady Eagles gathered their composure to pace a 6-0 run for an 8-8 tie.  Senior Blaire Houston led the burst by confiscating two Lady Bear’s possessions and turning them into two fast-break layups by herself and Truesdale.

MSU’s Whitney Southerland came off the bench and dropped a long-range basket at the 11:49 mark to take a three-point lead and snap the second tie of the night.

NCCU refused to surrender, hitting a 6-3 run led by Evans to gridlock the contest once again, this time 18-18 at the 8:56 mark.  Over the course of five minutes of play, the two squads would tie again, until the Lady Eagles took their final lead of the night 26-25 (3:38).

With 3:07 left on the clock, MSU struck a 6-0 run to end the first half 33-26.   

By the half, Truesdale, who was  a Lady Bear’s threat from everywhere inside the arc, amassed nine points, two assists and three steals, while Houston also added nine points to the squads first-half 26, along with two steals and one block.

The Lady Bears returned the Hill Field House hardwood still feeling the vibes of their first half run and extending the margin to 12 points (40-28).   With her fourth point of the night, NCCU’s Jenkins sinked a layup, which was preceded by a layup by Evans, dropped the MSU lead to eight.

The Baltimore-based foes took their final double-figure lead at the 15:31 mark off a jumper by Tracey Carrington.

On a 4-0 run lead by the mighty maroon’s Williams, the Lady Eagles came within five points for a score of 37-42.
In the next five minutes of play, NCCU continued to chisel away at the Lady Bears lead exploding on a 13-7 run for their closest margin of second half at two points at the 9:25 mark.

As the two Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference teams continued to battle, MSU varied between a seven-point-to-three-point lead. With a long range basket standing between a tie at the 48-second mark, the Lady Bears gained possession, hit the jumper and sealed the Monday night victory 64-59.

The maroon and gray finished the hardwood matchup at 45 percent from the field on 26-of-58 shooting, 2-of-10 from behind the arc, and 42 percent from the charity stripe, 5-of-12.

Along with Williams team-high 19 points, the center pulled down 10 rebounds for a double-double, as Carrington and Omara Parker scored 13 points apiece.  Carrington distributed five assists, while Moneshia Davis blocked four shots and gathered seven steals.

Morgan State was 34 percent from the field on 24-of-71, 2-of-9 from the long range, and 78 percent from the free-throw line, 14-of-18.

NCCU drops to 2-17 on the season and 0-6 in the MEAC, as the Baltimore-based Lady Bears advance to 5-14 on the season, 2-4 in the MEAC and 6-2 in the series.

The Lady Eagles return to the McDougald-McLendon hardwood to host Delaware State on Saturday, Jan. 28 and Maryland Eastern Shore on Monday, Jan. 30.  Saturday’s contest tipoffs at 2:00 p.m., while Monday’s game begins at 5:30 p.m.

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