DURHAM, N.C. (www.NCCUEaglePride.com) - For the second time this season, sophomore Alesha Jenkins has guided the Lady Eagles of North Carolina Central University with a 14-point outing.  But her efforts were not enough to secure a win, as NCCU fell 66-55 to the Lady Hornets of Delaware State University on Saturday, Jan. 28 in McDougald-McLendon Gymnasium.

Along with Jenkins second double-figure high of the season and of her career in maroon and gray, junior Chasidy Williams dropped 11 points in the contest.  Williams led in boards with eight, as Jenkins and senior Blaire Houston pulled down seven rebounds apiece.

NCCU took a two-point lead in the opening minutes of play, until DSU quickly responded at the 17:32 mark to pace the two squads on three ties over the next four minutes of competition.

After wavering in the early parts of play, the Lady Hornets took a six-point lead at the 8:14 mark for a score of 17-11. 

NCCU head coach Joli Robinson called a timeout to set the mighty maroon motion. 

The Lady Eagles returned to the hardwood with intensity, hitting a 10-2 run off the efforts of Williams and Jenkins.  The duo’s efforts allowed the mighty maroon to regain the lead with a score of 21-19 with 4:59 left on the clock.

A foul by NCCU’s Lakisha Evans sent DSU’s Chelsea Dukes to the free-throw line to snap the run and bring the Lady Hornets within one.  The Delaware squad regained the lead at the 2:54 mark off a long-range basket by Tarshaye White. 

With less than three minutes remaining in the half, the two Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference squads hit a 7-7 run for a two-point 30-28 DSU lead into the halftime intermission.

At the half, Jenkins guided the Lady Eagles with eight points and five rebounds, while Williams followed with six points. 

Delaware State opened the second half on a 7-4 run, despite sending NCCU to the charity stripe three times in under three minutes.

Jenkins, who was well on her way to her career and season achievement, netted a jumper at the 17:06 mark to pace the mighty maroon on 10-4 run to recover the lead at the 12:40 mark for a score of 42-41.

Yet again, the contest was a point-for-point battle with NCCU taking its final lead at the 7:48 mark.

The Lady Hornets reclaimed the lead and paced to an 18-6 run which a campus-wide power outage could not stop, as DSU clenched a 66-55 victory in the nest.

The maroon and gray finished the hardwood matchup at 38 percent from the field on 24-of-63 shooting, 7-of-19 from behind the arc, and 52 percent from the charity stripe, 11-of-21.

DSU found power from Tierra Hawkins who ended the afternoon with 19 points and 13 rebounds for a double-double, as Dukes netted 14 points and Tasia Bristow dropped 12 points.  Keyanna Tate pulled down 12 rebounds, while Bristow lobbed six assists, Uchechi Ahaiwe blocked three shots and Hawkins attained two steals.

Delaware State was 36 percent from the field on 20-of-55, 2-of-2 from the long range, and 48 percent from the free-throw line, 13-of-27.

NCCU drops to 2-18 on the season and 0-7 in the MEAC, as the Delaware-based MEAC foe advances to 4-15 on the season, 1-5 in the MEAC and 2-0 in the series.

The Lady Eagles return to the McDougald-McLendon hardwood to host Maryland Eastern Shore on Monday, Jan. 30, the Monday contest begins at 5:30 p.m.