SAVANNAH, Ga. — The Eagles received strong performances from six players, including a season-high 16 points by junior Shontai Totten and sophomore Kieche White scoring all seven of North Carolina Central University's points in the final two minutes to seal a 71-67 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) women's basketball road win at Savannah State University Monday evening.
 
NCCU led for the final 38 minutes, but it took multiple Eagles stepping up at different times throughout the close affair to secure its first road win of the season. NC Central improved to 5-15 on the season and 2-5 in the league.
 
Senior Rodneysha Martin led the victors with a game-high 21 points as she hit four 3-pointers. Totten made half her baskets on the way to a season-best 16 points while also handing out six assists. Sophomore Zaria Atkins chipped in 10 points before fouling out; junior Paulina Afriyie once again filled up the box score with seven points, nine rebounds, five steals and four assists; White scored seven of her nine points when it mattered most in the final two minutes; and freshman Kiyana Brown tallied six points, seven rebounds and two blocks.
 
The Lady Tigers had very early leads of 2-0 and 4-3, but NCCU scored the next six points on baskets by Martin, Totten and Atkins to take the lead for good. The Eagles continued to lead by five points, 22-17, after the first quarter with Martin having already scored 11 points.
 
A couple 3-pointers by Totten extended NCCU's advantage to 31-19 in the second quarter before Savannah State was able back to inch within three points. However, the Eagles stayed in front and a last-second layup by senior Caira Benton off a nice bounce pass by Afriyie sent NCCU into the halftime locker room leading 38-31.
 
The maroon and gray shot 46.4-percent in the first half, but 13 turnovers kept the Lady Tigers to within single digits. After a sloppy third quarter in which fans witnessed 18 combined turnovers NCCU still led by six at 50-44.
 
SSU rallied to within a possession, 55-54, by starting the fourth quarter on a 10-5 run featuring five points by freshman Myasia Jones. Martin answered for the Eagles by cashing in her second 3-pointer of the final frame before a pair of free throws by Totten and a layup by Brown pushed the visitors advantage back to eight at 62-54. The Lady Tigers eventually clawed to within one once again, 66-65, on quick baskets by freshman Ta'Quasia Lampkin and sophomore Alexxus Sowell. White then sliced through threw the Savannah State defense and made a contested layup with 1:15 left, which proved to be the dagger. The Lady Tigers missed their next couple shots and White went 3-for-4 from the free throw line in the final 20 seconds to finish off the four-point victory.
 
The Eagles shot 43-percent from the field, including a precise 7-for-14 (50%) from 3-point distance. NCCU also handed out 14 assists on its 25 made field goals.
 
Jones topped SSU with 19 points. Sowell followed with nine points and seven rebounds.
 
NC Central next travels to Daytona Beach, Florida, for a MEAC tilt against Bethune-Cookman University on Saturday at 2 p.m.