Box Score DURHAM, N.C. (www.NCCUEaglePride.com) – Even with a stellar first-half run and three Lady Eagles scoring in double-figures, the North Carolina Central University women’s basketball still came up short ending the Monday, Jan. 30 contest with a 46-54 loss the Lady Hawks of Maryland Eastern Shore in McDougald-McLendon Gymnasium.

Maroon and gray offensive leader junior Chasidy Williams led the squad with a team-high 17 points, as freshman Kabrina Truesdale came off the bench and netted 15 points for her sixth double-figure outing and senior Blaire Houston finished up with 10 points with her fifth double-figure achievement.  Sophomore Alesha Jenkins circulated three assists, while Houston notched a season-high six steals.

UMES opened the competition with an 8-0 lead by the 15:44, until Truesdale put the mighty maroon on the board with a three-point shot for a score of 8-3.  But, the Wilmington, N.C., native was not done yet, single-handedly, igniting an 8-0 run to bring NCCU within three points at the 14:05 mark.

Both teams found themselves at a sluggish offensive pace, with UMES only outscoring NCCU 11-4 over 11 minutes of competition for a 10-point 22-12 lead. 

Lady Eagles’ Williams commenced the effort to chisel away at the lead pacing to a 9-4 run at the 3:53 mark to end the second half at a three-point 23-26 deficit.

After the first 20 minutes of competition, Truesdale guided the offense with 13 points and was 3-of-4 from the long range.   

UMES returned from the halftime intermission increasing the deficit to 11 points on another 8-point run, 36-25.

From the 10:29 mark to the 4:48 mark, the Lady Hawks wavered between a six-point to 10-point lead.

With NCCU’s Williams on the free-throw line, the Lady Eagles were in with eight at the 4:23 mark.  The junior guard continued to pressuring the UMES defense, scoring seven points on her own including an “and one” with 31 seconds left on the clock to bring the margin to five.

To conclude the contest, UMES went on a 4-0 run for a final score of 54-46.

The maroon and gray finished the hardwood matchup at 30 percent from the field on 14-of-46 shooting, 3-of-8 from behind the arc, and 65 percent from the charity stripe, 15-of-23.

With 25 points in the victory, Chelsea Sanders, who was 5-of-8 from the free-throw line and 10-of-14 the field, dropped the only double-figure outing for the Lady Hawks.  Amber cook mixed the offense with five assists, while Adobi Agbasi attained a team-high five blocks and Sanders gathered three steals.

Maryland Eastern Shore was 40 percent from the field on 23-of-58, 0-of-10 from the long range, and 50 percent from the free-throw line, 8-of-16.

NCCU drops to 2-19 on the season and 0-8 in the MEAC, as UMES advances to 7-12, 4-3 in the conference and 5-1 in the series.

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