HIGH POINT, N.C. — Junior Paulina Afriyie and freshman Kiyana Brown both posted double-doubles for visiting North Carolina Central University in an 80-69 road loss at High Point University in the opener for both teams Friday night.
 
HPU junior Camryn Brown netted 11 of her 20 points in the fourth quarter to halt a furious rally by the Eagles.    
 
Trailing by 15 at halftime, NCCU pulled to within two possessions of the Panthers on three occasions in the fourth quarter, but Brown drilled a 3-pointer on High Point's ensuing possession all three times.
 
Brown made a total of five of the Panthers' nine 3-pointers.
 
High Point (1-0) was picked to finish second in the Big South Conference (BSC).
 
Afriyie recorded her ninth career double-double with team-high totals of 14 points and 12 rebounds. Brown scored all 10 of her points and grabbed seven of her 10 rebounds in NCCU's second-half surge to complete a double-double in her collegiate debut.
 
The Eagles had balanced scoring with five players reaching double-digit points. Junior transfer Shontai Totten and freshman Dasmine Kasey both poured in 13 points and senior Caira Benton netted 11 points.
 
High Point scored the first six points of the contest and never trailed. The Panthers made six of their first nine shots to quickly double up the visitors, 16-8. HPU drilled four 3-pointers in the first quarter to construct a sizable 24-10 advantage after 10 minutes of play.
 
Benton accounted for six of NCCU's first 10 points, but the Eagles only shot 25-percent in the opening period to fall behind.
 
Senior Emma Bockrath, the Big South Conference Preseason Player of the Year, drilled her second trey to begin the hosts scoring in the second quarter and had seven points in an 11-3 run as High Point increased its first-half cushion to 22 points at 35-13.

The Eagles started to shoot better from that point, including five points by Totten and two layups by Kasey, to close the halftime deficit to 49-34.  
 
Bockrath scored 17 points in the first half before going to the bench with three fouls. She finished with a game-high 22 points.
 
NCCU pulled to within 61-50 at the end of the third quarter and two quick hoops by Kasey to start the fourth had the maroon and gray within six at 62-56. However, Brown  launched an accurate 3-pointers moments later and the two teams played a seesaw battle to the final wire.
 
NC Central (0-1) will next host Elon University in its home opener on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.