FARMVILLE, Va. – Juniors Chantal Thomas and Monique Whaley-Briggs both cashed in career-high point totals for the North Carolina Central University women's basketball team in a 60-49 non-conference road loss at Longwood University Tuesday evening in Willett Hall.
 
The Lancers led for the final 39 minutes after holding the Lady Eagles to just two field goals in the first quarter to pick up their first win of the season. Longwood (1-3 Overall) also forced winless NCCU (0-3) into a season-high 27 turnovers.
 
Senior teammate Tisha Dixon matched Thomas for game-high scoring honors with 13 points apiece. Whaley-Briggs followed with 12 points as the trio accounted for 38 of the Lady Eagles' 49 points.
 
Freshman Dominique Adams led all players with nine rebounds as NCCU controlled the glass by a 45-35 rebounding margin. Dixon also seized seven boards for the Maroon and Gray.
 
A 3-pointer by Whaley-Briggs gave NCCU an early 3-2 edge in the opening minute, but Longwood scored the next 10 points on a pair of treys from senior Kyndal Skersick followed by two consecutive layups by junior Eboni Gilliam to take a quick 12-3 advantage. Whaley-Briggs ended the hosts run with her second 3-pointer from the left wing. However, the two trifectas by Whaley-Briggs were the only two field goals made by the Lady Eagles in the opening period as NCCU went 2 for 17 (11.8%) from the field. The Lancers had doubled up NCCU, 14-7, heading into the second quarter.
 
Longwood nailed three more 3-pointers in the second period and maintained a double-digit advantage for most of the frame. Thomas scored her first six points in the second 10-minute quarter and Dixon's second old-fashion, three-point play of the period in the final seconds helped NCCU stay within striking distance at halftime. The Lancers went into the locker room leading by 10 (33-23) with Skersick leading all players with nine points of 3 of 4 precision from behind the arc.
 
The two squads traded baskets in a more offensive third period and a layup by Thomas in the final seconds kept NCCU trailing by 10, 50-40, going into the final quarter.
 
Whaley-Briggs deposited the first two hoops of the fourth to pull the Lady Eagles within a couple possessions at 50-44 but a couple more Longwood 3-pointers off the hands of junior Brenna Robbins and senior Deborah Headen put a dagger in NCCU's comeback attempt.
 
The Lady Eagles committed 18 of their 27 turnovers in the first half while shooting 24-percent (7 of 29) before the midway break. NCCU protected the ball better in the second half and heated up to 39-percent (11 of 28) accuracy over the final 20 minutes to keep the showdown competitive the stretch.
 
Longwood had four players in double digits, including a team-high 12 points off the bench from Headen. Skersick finished with 11 points and Gilliam and junior Daeisha Brown both deposited 10 points. Sophomore Micaela Ellis was held scoreless but chipped in six assists for the victors.
 
Thomas tallied two of NCCU's four assists and senior Kristin Askew led the Lady Eagles with three steals.
 
NCCU concludes play for the opening month of the season at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina, on Saturday at 1 p.m.