DOVER, Del. – The North Carolina Central University women's basketball team led after each of the first three quarters, but host Delaware State University finished the game on an 11-6 run to escape with a 55-51 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) win in Memorial Hall Monday evening.
 
Sophomore NaJai Pollard scored 10 consecutive points for the Hornets during the decisive run and then freshman Lanayjha Ashe hit the back end of two free throws with 27 second left to seal the victory. The Lady Eagles, who committed 21 of their 34 turnovers in the second half, had chances down the stretch but they missed their final two shots and made three turnovers in the final minute.
 
Senior Morgan Jones led NCCU with 12 points and junior Kierona Morton matched her season-high output with eight points. Freshman Paulina Afriyie tallied season-high marks of six points and 13 rebounds while senior Chantal Thomas and sophomore Deja McCain matched her with six points apiece.
 
Freshman Alycea Sharpe made an opening jumper from the right wing to give DSU its only lead of the first half just 11 seconds into play. The Hornets missed their next six shots and committed four turnovers as NCCU jumped out 8-2. Morton scored four points and grabbed four rebounds in the first quarter as the Lady Eagles continued to lead 12-9 after 10 minutes.
 
Delaware State was able to knot the score twice early in the second quarter before NCCU scored eight consecutive points to jump ahead 22-14. The Lady Eagle surge was highlighted by Jones' third steal that led to her own transition layup. The hosts scored the final three points of the period to cut the halftime deficit to six points at 26-20.
 
Jones led all players with eight points and three steals at the midway break. NCCU dominated the glass, 28-17, at halftime with sophomore Dominique Adams pulling down six of her eight total boards in the first half.
 
Pollard – the reigning MEAC Rookie of the Year – was held without a made field goal in the first half. Pollard, who leads the league in both scoring and rebounding, had just two points and one rebound before the intermission.
 
DSU rallied in the third quarter, but a pair of made free throws by McCain put NCCU back ahead, 39-37, heading into the fourth quarter. The Lady Eagles made their first 14 free throw attempts and drilled 17-of-18 tries from the charity stripe in the first three quarters for a sizzling 94.4-percent precision.
 
However, NCCU never went back to the free throw line in the fourth quarter.
 
The tight battle featured nine ties and six lead changes. Afriyie made a layup to give the Lady Eagles their last lead at 45-44 before Pollard scored seven straight points to catapult the Hornets back in front for good. Pollard made a pair of 3-point plays during the closing run, with her second one providing Delaware State with a 54-49 edge.
 
Thomas made a runner in the paint with 90 seconds left to pull the Lady Eagles within one possession, but mistakes and misfires down the stretch ended the comeback attempt.
 
Pollard finished with a game-high totals of 19 points and three blocks.
 
NCCU (3-16 Overall, 2-5 MEAC) committed 34 costly turnovers, allowing DSU (3-18, 2-6) to avoid being swept by the Lady Eagles. The maroon and gray finished with a 50-33 rebounding advantage. Both teams shot 31-percent, but NCCU was held without a made 3-pointer for only the second time this season.
 
NCCU next visits Morgan State University on Saturday, Feb. 4 at 2 p.m.