DURHAM, N.C. — Junior forward Paulina Afriyie scored a season-high 21 points to lead all scorers and freshman guard Jasmine Pollock drilled four 3-pointers for host North Carolina Central University, but visiting USC Upstate converted on a bunch of transition points late to earn an 82-63 non-conference women's basketball victory Saturday afternoon in McDougald-McLendon Arena.
 
The Spartans made 11 steals and turned 21 NCCU turnovers into 31 extra points to earn their first road win. USC Upstate (2-4) scored a total of 18 points, nearly the final margin of victory, on the fast break.
 
The starting lineup accounted for all 82 Upstate points. Sophomore Michaela Gibbons and junior Brianna Lewis topped the Spartans with 20 points apiece. Gibbons made four treys Lewis went 8 for 11 from the free throw line. Junior Riley Popplewell and senior DeNisha Swain both added double-doubles as Upstate outrebounded NCCU 45-40. Popplewell totaled 19 points and 11 rebounds while Swain notched 15 points and 12 rebounds.
 
Afriyie had a hot hand inside, making 10 of her 13 attempts from the field, on the way to her game-high scoring honors. Her 21 points was one-point shy of her career best sum. Afriyie also led NCCU with seven rebounds.
 
Pollock scored all of her points from behind the arc, netting a career-high 12 points of four of NCCU's eight made 3-pointers. Junior Lanay Rodney filled up the box score with eight points, five rebounds, four assists, two blocks and two steals. Junior Shontai Totten added five points, six rebounds and seven assists and freshman Ashlyn Lockard netted a season-best six points.
 
In a tight first half featuring five ties and four lead changes, USC Upstate used a late 9-0 run to jump ahead by eight points before settling for a narrow 39-34 advantage at halftime. Pollock drilled her second 3-pointer of the second quarter to give NCCU its last lead of 29-28 at the 4:10 mark before the Spartans scored their nine unanswered points to go ahead 37-29. A few minutes later sophomore Zaria Atkins drained NCCU's sixth trey of the half in the final minute to cut the midway deficit to five points.
 
Popplewell led all players into the locker room with 12 points. Afriyie paced the Eagles after 20 minutes with 11 points.
 
The Eagles, who shot 39-percent in the first half, cooled down to 32-percent accuracy in the second half while Upstate made 53-percent of its shots from the floor in the second half.
 
Pollock's final successful 3-pointer at the 4:23 mark of the third quarter inched the maroon and gray to within six points at 50-44. However, it was NCCU's final made shot of period. USC Upstate went on a 12-0 run from that point to increase its lead to 18, 62-44, going into the fourth quarter. The Spartans maintained a double-digit cushion throughout the final 10 minutes before prevailing by 19.
 
Swain, who dished out five assists, came up with six steals – several of which turned into easy transition layups. Lewis tallied six helpers.
 
NC Central (0-6) continues its homestand next Saturday when the Eagles host Coastal Carolina University at 2 p.m.