DURHAM, N.C. — Freshman
Ashlyn Lockard scored a season-high 13 points and senior
Rodneysha Martin hit the go-ahead basket as the clock ticked inside one minute to lead the North Carolina Central University women's basketball team to a trilling 65-64 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) home win over Delaware State University Monday evening inside McDougald-McLendon Arena.
Martin drilled her long step-back jumper by the left sideline and the Eagles defense then held the Hornets to three missed shots in the final minute to survive by the narrowest of margins.
NCCU improved to 7-17 on the season and 4-7 in the league. Delaware State dipped to 4-18 and 2-9.
Martin finished with 11 points. She was one of four Eagles to score in double digits.
Junior
Paulina Afriyie led the maroon and gray with 14 points. Lockard only missed one shot on her way to her 13 points. Sophomore
Kieche White topped NCCU's reserves with 12 points.
Lockard's big outing included a team-high seven rebounds as the Eagles controlled the backboards 41-31.
Senior forward NaJai Pollard and junior guard Lanayjha Ashe had hot hands for DSU in the first quarter, accounting for all 18 points as the Hornets made half of their shots in the period to lead 18-17 after 10 minutes.
However, a layup by junior
Shontai Totten in the first minute of the second quarter put NCCU for the rest of the half. The Eagles were still clinging to a one-point edge midway through the period before going on a 12-0 run. Sophomore
Zaria Atkins scored the final five points of that rally on a 3-pointer and two free throws to put NCCU up 13 points. DSU ended a nearly six-minute drought from the field with a trey by Ashe in the final minute to cut the halftime deficit to 10 at 37-27.
The maroon and gray had balanced scoring in the first half with nine players recording points while DSU only had three players with points at the midway break.
NCCU was still leading by 10 points going into the final minute of the third quarter before a 3-point play by Ashe and a layup by freshman Shonnyvelle Regalado sliced that margin in half, 52-47, heading into the fourth quarter.
The Hornets kept rallying to begin the final period and they were able to secure their first lead of the half with 6:29 left. The two teams then remained within one possession of each other from that point, including trading leads down the stretch.
White drove the left baseline for a layup to break a 61-61 tie and put the Eagles back ahead with two minutes to go, but Regalado swished a 3-pointer from the left wing on the ensuing possession to put DSU in front for the final time at 64-63.
NCCU's leading scorer responded with the biggest basket moments later as Martin cashed in her game-winning hoop from 20-feet out.
Martin and Totten both distributed three assists. Totten and Atkins each scored five points and Totten corralled six rebounds.
Pollard became DSU's all-time leading scorer in program history in the first half and she finished with a game-high 27 points. She completed a double-double with 10 rebounds.
NC Central next visits Norfolk State University on Saturday at 4 p.m.
