NORFOLK, Va. – Senior guard Morgan Jones led all scorers and classmate Chantal Thomas filled up the box score for No. 10 seed North Carolina Central University in a 71-58 loss to No. 7 seed North Carolina A&T State University in the first round of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Women's Basketball Championship Tuesday afternoon at the Norfolk Scope Arena.
 
The duo completed out their collegiate careers with strong individual performances in their last games for the Lady Eagles. Jones sank a three 3-pointers on her way to 17 points as she finished her career with 1,047 points at NCCU. Thomas provided 11 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals.
 
The Aggies shot 48.1-percent from the field and held the Lady Eagles to 32.8% to avenge a four-point loss (58-54) to NCCU just six days earlier in Greensboro. North Carolina A&T (13-17 Overall) advanced to the quarterfinals and will play second-seeded Howard University on Wednesday at 2 p.m. NCCU – coming off its best MEAC regular season at 7-9 in league play – finished its season at 8-21.
 
Sophomore Dominique Adams and freshman Jada Blow each tossed in nine points for the lady Eagles and freshman teammate Paulina Afriyie led all rebounders with eight boards.
 
A fast-break layup in the opening minute by Jones knotted the score for the only time at 2-all. The Aggies scored the next two hoops on lay-ins by juniors Kala Green and Quenswayla Story and the higher seed remained in front from that point.
 
Thomas scored half of NCCU's eight points in the first quarter and her second basket at the 5:56 mark had the Lady Eagles only trailing by five at 11-6. However, North Carolina A&T scored the next 11 points before sophomore Rodneysha Martin swished a jumper with just three seconds left in the period. NCCU trailed 22-8 after 10 minutes of play, with five different Aggies scoring during the Lady Eagles' 5:53 drought.
 
North Carolina A&T's advantage grew to 16 points as Story made a pair of free throws at the 9:50 mark, but the Lady Eagles held the Aggies without a made field goal in the second quarter.
 
NCCU outscored NCAT 11-2 for the remainder of the period but the Lady Eagles still trailed by seven, 26-19, at halftime after also going scoreless for the final 4:50.
 
Thomas led the maroon and gray into the locker room with seven points and the Aggies went 0-for-12 from the floor in the second period.
 
The two in-state rivals traded the first couple of baskets of the third quarter until a quick 8-0 spurt by the Aggies increased their lead back to double digits. Senior Dana Brown drilled a three-pointer to start the run and freshman Channing James netted five points in an eight-second outburst to cap the decisive run that had NCAT up 37-25.
 
The Aggies, who only made eight total field goals in the first half, went 8-of-15 from the field (53.3%) in the third quarter to lead 47-34 heading into the final stanza.
 
NCAT maintained a doubled figure edge throughout most of the fourth quarter. Five Aggies scored 10-plus points, including a team-high 15 by senior Aliyah Kilpatrick. She also paced the victors with four assists and three steals.