DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Junior guard Jayla Calhoun scored eight straight points to ignite a 15-3 run that pulled the North Carolina Central University women's basketball team to within six points in the final minute, but host Bethune-Cookman University hit all of its free throws down the stretch to claim a 57-47 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) win on Monday evening in Moore Gymnasium.
 
The Wildcats – the two-time defending MEAC regular season champions – remain the lone undefeated team in the conference. Bethune-Cookman improved to 19-4 overall and 11-0 in the league with its 11th straight victory.
 
Junior Paulina Afriyie paced the Eagles with nine points, eight rebounds and three blocks. Calhoun, who bucketed all eight of her points to begin NCCU's improbable comeback, also pulled down five of her six rebounds in the fourth quarter.
 
A couple jumpers by freshman Alyssa Thompson and junior Rodneysha Martin capped the late rally that closed the score to 53-47.
 
NCCU (6-18, 4-7) was forced to foul at that point and Bethune-Cookman juniors Angel Golden and Ashanti Hunt both made a pair of free throws to keep the visitors at bay. Golden led all players with 20 points and Hunt followed with 15 points. Golden added a team-high four steals and Hunt distributed a game-high six assists.
 
A couple short jumpers in the paint by junior Caira Benton helped NCCU jump out to a 6-2 lead. However, the league's stingiest defense held the Eagles without a field for the remaining 5:24 of the first quarter.
 
Bethune-Cookman went on a 11-0 run over that span to take a 13-6 lead after 10 minutes. The hosts remained in front from that point. The Wildcats maintained a six- to 10-point edge in an even second quarter and led 30-21 at halftime.
 
Hunt was 6-for-7 from the free throw line in the first half and led all players into the locker room with 11 points and four assists. Afriyie kept the maroon and gray within striking distance with six points and five rebounds at the intermission.
 
The Wildcats made five of their first seven shots to start the second half. BCU doubled-up the Eagles, 12-6, during that hot-shooting surge to extend its advantage to 15 points (42-27). The Wildcat cushion grew to as many as 18, 50-32, early in the fourth quarter before Calhoun scored her eight straight points in a two minute and 41 second window to make things interesting down the stretch.
 
All 12 NCCU active players scored against the league's stingiest defense. Benton (6 points), junior Sami Oliver-Alexander (5), Martin (4) and senior Kierona Morton (4) all converted multiple field goals on top of Afriyie and Calhoun.
 
Freshman Kieche White came up with a game-high five steals.
 
Junior Chasimmie Brown had a strong performance for the victors, tallying eight points, 10 rebounds, five blocks and three steals. BCU finished with a 41-38 edge on the backboards and made 18-23 (78.3%) free throws compared to just 7-13 (53.8%) by the Eagles.
 
NCCU returns to Durham to host University of Maryland Eastern Shore on Saturday at 2 p.m. The contest will serve as Senior Day for Morton and fans are encouraged to wear pink for the Play4Kay contest.