PRINCESS ANNE, Md. — Freshman guard Kieche White poured in a career-high 28 points to lead the North Carolina Central University women's basketball team in an 84-73 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference road loss at University of Maryland Eastern Shore Monday evening in the Hytche Center.
 
White scorched the net by making 10-of-14 (71.4%) field goals, including a season-high six 3-pointers on just eight tries, to amass her 28 points. Junior guard Rodneysha Martin followed with 19 points and sophomore forward Paulina Afriyie netted 15 points as the trio accounted for 85-percent of the Eagles offense.
 
NCCU (5-14 Overall, 3-3 MEAC) shot a season-high 47.4-percent from the field, but could not overcome the Hawks dominating the glass. Eastern Shore (5-14, 2-5) outrebounded the Eagles, 48-34, which included 25 offensive rebounds that led to a staggering 27 second-chance points.
 
Four-time MEAC Freshman of the Week Bairesha Gill-Miles produced her third double-double for the victors. Gill-Miles bucketed 20 points, grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds and dished out a game-best four assists. All three totals were season-high sums for Gill-Miles.
 
White and Martin scored 25 of the Eagles first 26 points in helping the visitors jump out to a five-point advantage, 26-21, after the first quarter of play. A rare four-point play by Martin at the 3:25 mark had NCCU up six and White drilled all four of her tries from beyond the arc to highlight the period.  
 
The Eagles shot 61.5-percent (8-13) from the field over the first 10 minutes, including a sizzling 6-of-7 (85.7%) from three-point distance.
 
However, NCCU cooled down to 29.4-percent (5-17) in the second quarter to allow the Hawks to rally back. The first half featured a total of eight ties and seven lead changes.
 
White drilled her fifth straight attempted 3-pointer to extend the Eagles lead to 29-23 before Eastern Shore outscored NCCU 20-13 for the rest of the second quarter. A jumper by Martin and a layup by junior Caira Benton provided the Eagles with their last leads of 35-33 and 37-36, respectively. White's last points of the half – a layup at the 2:31 mark – leveled the score for the final time at 39-all. NCCU did not make another field goal in the half and the Hawks were able to cling to a 43-42 edge at halftime.
 
The Shore doubled up the Eagles, 20-10, to start the second half to construct an 11-point advantage at 63-52. The Hawks held the lead throughout the final 20 minutes despite a few rallies by the Eagles.
 
Martin made a pair of hoops during a closing 6-1 surge that cut NCCU's deficit to 64-58 after three quarters. Martin then added another floater early in the fourth quarter that inched the Eagles within four at 66-62.
 
A couple ensuing treys off the arms of juniors Keyera Eaton and Ciani Byrom on the Hawks next few possessions provided the dagger to NCCU's comeback hope as the Shore's lead swelled back to double digits at 72-62.
 
Afriyie scored eight of the Eagles last 11 points, but the Hawks answered on each of her baskets to prevail by 11 points. Afriyie and Benton paced the maroon and gray with six rebounds apiece.
 
Eaton swished 14 points and corralled eight rebounds for Eastern Shore.
 
NCCU next visits in-state rival North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro for a MEAC showdown Saturday at 2 p.m.