DURHAM, N.C. — Juniors Lanay Rodney and Paulina Afriyie flirted with double-doubles for host North Carolina Central University in an 89-82 non-conference women's basketball loss to UNCW early Tuesday for Education Day at McDougald-McLendon Arena.
 
In a tight battle in which both teams made over half of their shots, the Seahawks used a decisive 15-4 run in the third quarter to take a 59-50 lead. UNCW (4-1) then barely held on to earn its first road win.
 
Senior Shrita Parker had her most impressive performance yet in her first season with UNCW after transferring in from Rutgers University. Parker made 10 of 16 shots from the field, including 4 of 5 three-point attempts, and 12 of 13 free throws on her way to a career-high 36 points.
 
Four Eagles scored in double figures in NCCU's best offensive outing yet. Rodney led the Eagles with season-high totals of 17 points and seven rebounds. Afriyie provided 16 points and a team-best eight boards. Freshman Dasmine Kasey made a trio of treys on her way to 11 points and junior Shontai Totten chipped in 10 points.
 
NCCU (0-5) made nine 3-pointers at 52.9-percent precision and tallied 17 assists, including helpers by Afriyie, Totten and sophomore Zaria Atkins. Freshman Jasmine Pollock made all three of her shot attempts for eight points while Atkins and freshman London Thompson both logged seven points. Senior Caira Benton rounded out NCCU's scoring with six points.
 
Benton also grabbed six rebounds as the maroon and gray once again looked strong on the glass. The Eagles outrebounded their guests 33-28.
 
The Eagles, who lost to UNCW by 26 points last season, continue to show signs of being a much-improved team despite not finding the win column yet.
 
The first half was a seesaw affair with 10 ties and nine lead changes. Both squads' largest lead was four points and they went into the halftime locker room deadlocked at 44-44.
 
A pair of made free throws by Afriyie gave NCCU its last lead of 46-44 on the opening possession of the second half. UNCW followed with its decisive 15-4 run that featured eight points by Parker.
 
The visitors advantage grew to as many as 13 early in the fourth, but a 9-0 run by the Eagles that was capped by consecutive 3-pointers from Rodney and Pollock closed the gap to four points and the two teams continued to trade punches for the final five minutes. NCCU pulled to within five points twice in the last two minutes, but Parker scored on UNCW's next trip down the court both times to end the comeback chances by the Eagles.
 
UNCW shot 53.7-percent from the floor and the Seahawks sealed their third straight win by converting 25 of their 33 attempts from the charity stripe (75.8%), including 18 of 21 tries in the second half.
 
Junior Ahyiona Vason scored eight of her 13 points after the midway break to supplement Parker. Junior GiGi Smith and senior Chinyere Bell supplied 11 and 10 points, respectively, and sophomore Paige Powell nearly had a double-double with nine points and a game-high nine rebounds. Junior Moriah Crisp orchestrated the hot-shooting UNCW offense with five assists.
 
NC Central continues its five-game homestand on Saturday when the Eagles entertain USC Upstate at 3 p.m.