DURHAM, N.C. – Junior guard Kimeira Burks scored a game-high 20 points and sophomore Morgan Callahan hit a go-ahead jumper in the paint with 23.3 seconds left in the game to lift the North Carolina Central University women's basketball team to a dramatic 82-77 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference home win over University of Maryland Eastern Shore on Monday evening inside McDougald-McLendon Arena.
 
The Hawks tied the game in the final minute before Callahan hit the game-winning, 10-footer from just inside the free throw line on a nice baseline pass from junior Kimia Carter. Eastern Shore turned the ball over on their next possession and Burks sealed the victory with two free throws with 14.7 seconds showing on the clock.
 
Burks hit five 3-pointers and then made all five of her free throws she attempted in the final 65 seconds to account for her game-high 20 points.
 
Five Eagles reached double digit points with freshman Jerni Kiaku bucketing 15 points, Carter tallying 14 points, sophomore Nia Ford depositing 13 points and senior Kira Lowery chipping in 11 points.
 
With the victory, NCCU (9-11 Overall, 3-2 MEAC) went undefeated at home in the month of January (4-0) and its third straight triumph moved the Eagles over .500 in league play. Eastern Shore left town slipping to 5-14 on the campaign and 1-4 in the conference.
 
NCCU missed its first 10 shots from the field and Eastern Shore took advantage in jumping out 16-2 before junior Tippy Robertson ended the drought with a pull-up jumper in the paint. The Eagles quickly found their touch from that point and Burks drilled a 3-pointer from the left wing at the buzzer to cut the home deficit to 10 points (21-11) after the first quarter.
 
The Eagles then shot 52.9 percent in the second quarter and forced the Hawks into nine turnovers in the period to take a slim 41-40 edge at halftime. Carter, who was coming off a season-high 15-point performance two nights ago, led NCCU's comeback, scoring 12 of her 14 points before the intermission.
 
The seesaw affair had nine ties and nine lead changes with seven of those ties and six of those lead changes occurring in the second half. Neither team led by more than two possessions over the final 20 minutes.
 
Burks made three straight free throws with 65 seconds left to provide NCCU with a two-point lead going into the final minute, but freshman Ariana Seawell knotted the score for the final time with a layup before Callahan hit her game winner 20 seconds later.
 
Seawell and junior Mya Thomas led the Hawks with 16 points apiece. Seawell completed a double-double with 11 rebounds. Sophomore Mahogany Lester also posted a double-double for the visitors with 14 points and a game-high 15 rebounds.
 
Eastern Shore finished with a convincing 53-18 rebounding surplus, 48-30 advantage on points in the paint and 17-8 edge on second chance points with the Eagles playing without three of their post players.
 
NCCU, ranked fourth nationally in turnovers forced per game, forced the Hawks into 27 turnovers. The Eagles turned that into 27 extra points with both Lowery and Robertson each making three steals. Robertson also handed out a team-best four assists.
 
Callahan finished with seven points while leading the maroon and gray with six rebounds.
 
NC Central will next hit the road for a MEAC clash at Howard University in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, Jan. 28 at 2 p.m.
 
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