DURHAM, N.C. — The North Carolina Central University women's basketball team missed a couple potential game-winning shots at the end of regulation and overtime as visiting Florida International University squeaked out a 59-58 non-conference victory Friday evening inside McDougald-McLendon Arena.
Junior
Kieche White had a last-second driving layup down the left lane hit the iron twice with the score tied at the end of regulation and classmate Theyoung Pouy's 20-foot jumper from the right wing in the final moments of overtime fell off the rim with the Eagles trailing by one. White, NCCU's leading scorer, got the offensive board on the Pouy's miss and she had one more opportunity to win it with a hurried tough hook shot at the buzzer, but that also missed its mark.
Freshman Fujika Nimmo scored a game-high 22 points for the Panthers. She connected on go-ahead 3-pointer early in overtime and FIU was able to hold on from that point.
Junior
Zaria Atkins pulled NCCU within one with a layup in the final 30 seconds of OT. The Eagles fouled to stop the clock and the Panthers missed two free throws to give NC Central its late game-winning chances.
Atkins had a strong performance in her season debut with eight points, three rebounds, two steals and one assist in just 15 minutes of action. Freshman
Khadija Demry matched Atkins with eight points.
FIU (2-5 Overall) improved to 2-0 on the road with Nimmo adding seven rebounds, two steals, two assists and two blocks to her 22 points. Nimmo made four 3-pointers.
In a low scoring first half, FIU led for most of the first 20 minutes as NCCU shot 28.6-percent from the floor. The Panthers held a late eight-point lead, 24-16, before the Eagles scored the final six points of the half. Sophomores
Ashlyn Lockard and
Kiyana Brown each made a layup in the late rally before senior
Paulina Afriyie finished off the second quarter with an offensive rebound and layup to pull NCCU within two points at the intermission, 24-22.
Afriyie led the maroon and gray into the locker room with six points, five rebounds, two steals and two blocks. She was held scoreless in the second half and overtime, but did finish with a game-high eight rebounds. Afriyie, junior
Kieche White and sophomore
Dasmine Kasey all made three steals as NCCU made a season-most 14 steals. White joined Afriyie with six points as a dozen Eagles scored in a balanced offensive game for NCCU.
FIU continued to maintain a narrow lead throughout most of the second half, but a pair of made free throws by Atkins with 19.5 seconds left provided the Eagles with a one-point lead, 54-53. NCCU was whistled for a foul on FIU's ensuing possession and junior Jiselle Thomas was able to the front end of the two free throws to level the score setting up White's game-winning chance in the last seconds of regulation.
The Panthers shot 41.5-percent from the field for the contest while holding the Eagles to 32.3-percent. Both teams made just two shots apiece in the five-minute overtime period with the difference being the first successful make by FIU was from behind the arc from Nimmo to complete her season-high, 22-point performance.
NC Central (1-7) next plays the North Carolina Tar Heels in Chapel Hill on Sunday at 2 p.m.
