CLINTON, S.C. — Sophomore forward Paulina Afriyie scored 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for the North Carolina Central University women's basketball team, but host Presbyterian College shot 88.2-percent from the free throw line to secure a 69-60 win in the Ross E. Templeton PE Center Sunday afternoon.
 
The Blue Hose converted on 30 of its 34 attempt from the charity stripe, including a stellar 17-of-18 performance by senior guard Cortney Storey as PC (2-7) snapped a five-game losing streak.
 
Storey scored her 1,000th point in the contest and led all players with 26 points, five assists and three steals.
 
Afriyie notched her first collegiate double-double. Her 16 points was a career-best total and her 10 rebounds was a game-high mark.
 
Junior Rodneysha Martin matched Afriyie with 16 points before fouling out early in the fourth quarter. Martin made a trio of 3-pointers.
 
Freshman Kieche White was the only other NCCU player to make more than one field goal on her way to six points. The Eagles did have 10 different players register in the scoring column.
 
NCCU started the contest on an 8-0 run and never trailed in the first quarter. The opening outburst featured a short jumper by freshman Alyssa Thompson followed by layups from Martin, Afriyie and junior Caira Benton.
 
Junior Sami Oliver-Alexander scored all five of her points in the period and NCCU led 17-13 after 10 minutes.
 
The Eagles advantage grew to nine at 22-13 after a three-pointer by Martin and a hoop by Afriyie.
 
However, four different PC players drilled 3-pointers and the Blue Hose pushed ahead, 33-30, at halftime with a 20-8 closing run. NCCU was held without a field goal for the last 5:55 off the period as Presbyterian held the one-possession lead at the midway break.
 
Martin scored nine of her 16 points in the third quarter. She nailed a pair of three-pointers to give the Eagles their last leads at 35-33 and 41-40.
 
The Blue Hose were a perfect 13-of-13 from the free throw line in the third quarter, which pushed PC to a 56-47 advantage after three periods. Storey made her first 16 free throws, including a flawless 8-of-8 in the decisive third quarter.
 
The hosts cushion grew to as many as 14 early in the period and NCCU shot just 29.4% in the fourth quarter as PC stayed in front by several possessions down the stretch.
 
Sophomore Riley Hemm added 122 points for the victors and senior Janie Miles tacked on nine points and eight rebounds.
 
Presbyterian made nine total 3-pointers and outscored NCCU by 16 (30-14) from the free throw line.
 
The Eagles made 11 steals, including three by Benton. The maroon and gray shot 36.2% for the game and held PC to just 32.6% from the field. Thompson tallied six boards, but the Blue Hose held a 38-36 rebounding edge.
 
NCCU (2-8) concludes a six-game road swing at Elon University on Tuesday at 7 p.m.