DURHAM, N.C. — Senior forward Paulina Afriyie started the new year with a double-double and junior guard Zaria Atkins supplied a career-high eight assists in leading host North Carolina Central University to a 66-57 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) women's basketball victory over Florida A&M University Saturday afternoon in McDougald-McLendon Arena.
 
Afriyie, the reigning MEAC Co-Player of the Week, notched her third double-double of the season and 20th of her career with game-high totals of 24 points and 10 rebounds.
 
Atkins was the only Eagle to play all 10 minutes in the fourth quarter and she helped keep the maroon and gray ahead scoring all six of her points in the final period. Her eight assists aided in NCCU shooting over 40-percent from the field for the first time in its last seven games.
 
NCCU missed its first 13 attempts from behind the 3-point arc, but the Eagles finally got a couple treys to fall late to create some separation against the Rattlers.
 
Sophomore Jasmine Pollock drained NCCU's first trifecta of the contest in the final minute of the third quarter to give the Eagles a 57-50 edge going into the final period. Florida A&M was able to pull within four points one more time, but a deep 3-pointer by freshman Anissa Rivera at the top of the arc pushed NCCU ahead 50-43 with 8:44 left. The Eagles would maintain at least a six-point cushion from that point, pushing the advantage to double digits on three occasions before settling for the nine-point triumph.
 
NC Central (4-10 Overall, 1-0 MEAC) has won two straight games and three of its last four contests.
 
Rivera chipped seven points and matched Afriyie with 10 rebounds in her return from injury. Junior Kieche White contributed eight points and three steals; sophomore Ashlyn Lockard netted seven points; and Pollock and Atkins each tallied six points.
 
Florida A&M (2-10, 0-1) committed 27 turnovers in the loss. Sophomore Jasmine Ballew paced the Rattlers with 20 points. Senior Shalaunda Burney-Robinson collected a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
 
NC Central will begin a four-game MEAC road swing at Delaware State University on Saturday, Jan. 11 at 4 p.m.