NORFOLK, Va. – Sophomore guard
Paris McBride tallied team-high totals of 12 points, four steals and three assists for the North Carolina Central University women's basketball team in Wednesday's 58-52 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Tournament quarterfinals loss to Norfolk State University at the Norfolk Scope Arena.
The second-seeded Spartans, who are the MEAC regular season co-champions with Howard and Morgan State, never trailed in the contest. Norfolk State (16-10 Overall) is advancing to the MEAC semifinals for a fourth consecutive season will next play the winner of Thursday's No. 3 Morgan State versus No. 6 South Carolina State quarterfinals game on Friday at 2 p.m.
McBride came off the bench to reach double digits for a fourth time this season.
NCCU had balanced scoring, which included MEAC Freshman of the Year
Diamond Thomas bucketing 11 points. Freshman
Nia Ford on three made 3-pointers to finish with nine points. Sophomore
Taylor Williams also sank nine points.
In her final game at NCCU, senior
Ashlyn Lockard led the maroon and gray with eight rebounds while chipping in four points.
Norfolk State was involved in a close first quarter with the Eagles in which the Spartans never led by more than one possession and the score was tied on three occasions. Sophomore Mahoganie Williams scored eight points in the first 10 minutes, including the last basket of the period to give NSU a 15-12 edge after one quarter. Williams finished with a team-high 12 points to match McBride for game-high scoring honors.
The designated hosts then started the second quarter on a 15-0 run to pull away. NCCU did not score in the second quarter until McBride made a deep jumper at the 4:30 mark. Norfolk State would outscore the Eagles 17-4 in the second stanza to double up NCCU, 32-16, at halftime.
Norfolk State freshman Crystal White scored all 11 her points in the second quarter, which feature her making trio of treys over that span.
The Spartans maintained a double-digit cushion for the first 18 minutes of the second half until NCCU closed the game on a desperation 10-0 run in the final two minutes to close the final deficit to just six points.
Joining Williams and White in double-figure scoring for Norfolk State were senior Deja Francis with 10 points. Francis handed out a game-high five assists.
NC Central finished its season an overall record of 5-20.
