Box Score

Lady Eagles Postgame Report B-CU (Chasidy Williams and Joli Robinson)

DURHAM, N.C. (www.NCCUEaglePride.com) – In spite of outscoring the Wildcats of Bethune-Cookman 31-20 in the second-half of play and hitting a 15-5 run in the half, the Lady Eagles of North Carolina Central University could not outlast B-CU and fell 54-64 on Monday, Jan. 9 in McDougald-McLendon Gymnasium.

After trailing by 21 points after the first-half of competition, the mighty maroon paced to a 15-5 run over the first eight minutes of play in the second-half to break the margin to nine.  Junior Chasidy Williams guided the Lady Eagles with 12 points from the paint and a four-of-four outing from the free-throw in the last 20 minutes of night.

Williams, who finished the night with 25 points, pulled down six rebounds and stole six Lady Wildcat possessions.  NCCU freshman Montreshia Perry, who was a perfect 4-of-4 from the charity stripe and 2-of-4 from the long range, achieved her first double-figure outing as a Lady Eagle with 12 points.  Sophomore Tenika Neely circulated four assists, as fellow classmate Tiffany Gary grabbed six boards.

The maroon and gray found themselves in a first-half deficient due to 18 turnovers, the in-the-paint offense effort of B-CU’s Demetria Frank and long-range efforts of Jasmine Elum, who led the Lady Wildcats with 21 points, netting 4-of-7 from the behind the arc and sinking 5-of-5 from the free-throw line.

NCCU held an early 8-6 lead by the 15:14 mark of the first half, but the long range efforts by Elum at the 14:24 mark initiated the lead change.  

A layup by Williams brought the mighty maroon within one point of the lead, until the Lady Wildcats hit a 27-9 run at the 10:06 mark for a first-half 44-23 lead over the Lady Eagles.

Following the halftime intermission, NCCU hit its 15-5 run to break the double-figure margin lead.  Nevertheless, Elum broke another maroon and gray effort with a long-range basket at the 11:22 mark to pace a 7-5 run for a 12 point lead by the 5:36 mark.

Over the next three minutes of play, the mighty maroon hit another double-figure run, outscoring B-CU 13-2 to bring the margin to six.

But as the NCCU offense with silent and B-CU still in charge of the contest, the Lady Wildcats concluded the night with their fourth win of the season with two free throws and a shot in the paint for a final score of 64-54.

In the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference matchup, the maroon and gray was 37 percent from the field on 18-of-49 shooting, 2-of-7 from behind the arc, and 80 percent from the charity stripe, 16-of-20. 

Along with Elum’s double-figure outing, Frank and Cleniece Roberts dropped 11 points apiece.  Frank lobbed four assists and snatched six steals, as Jalisa Isaac blocked two shots.

B-CU was 37 percent from the field on 21-of-56, 5-of-13 from the long range, and 71 percent from the free-throw line, 17-of-24.

NCCU drops to 2-14 on the season, as Bethune-Cookman advances to 4-11 and progresses to 5-0 in the series.

The Lady Eagles return to action on Monday, Jan. 16 to battle the Bison of Howard University in Washington, D.C., at 5:30 p.m.

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