SEATTLE, Wash. – The North Carolina Central University women's basketball team had the difficult task of flying across the country to open up the 2023-24 regular season against a team receiving votes in a national top-25 poll on Thursday. The Eagles kept the score close in the first quarter before host University of Washington raced away to a 113-39 victory.
Senior
Kimeira Burks led NCCU with 10 points and classmate
Tippy Robertson filled up the box score with nine points, five rebounds and three assists. Freshman
Kyla Bryant netted eighth points in her collegiate debut for the maroon and gray.
The Huskies, who are receiving votes in the Associated Press Top-25 Poll, made 12 three-pointers and shot 56.3 percent from the field to earn their second straight decisive win to start their season. Washington (2-0) held Sacramento State to just 28 points on Monday before limiting NCCU to 39 points.
A basket by NCCU junior
Nijah Cunningham tied the score for the only time at 8-8 and NCCU only trailed by one point, 13-12, after Bryant made a pair of free throws with 2:47 left in the opening quarter. However, the Huskies finished the period on a 10-1 run to take a 23-14 edge after 10 minutes of play. Washington maintained the momentum and outscored NCCU by a 34-7 margin the second quarter and never looked back on the way to the 74-point victory.
The Huskies received double-digit point production from five players and all five of those scorers made at least one 3-pointer apiece. Freshman Sayvia Sellers highlighted play for Washington with 18 points, seven assists, four steals and three rebounds. The much taller Pac-12 member Huskies finished with a 62-28 rebounding advantage with junior Dalayah Daniels grabbing a game-high 11 rebounds and completing a double-double with 13 points.
The Eagles only played eight players due to injuries. Senior
Kimia Carter led NCCU's reserves with four points while junior transfer
Janiah Jones also scored four points in her maroon and gray debut. Junior
Morgan Callahan had a team-high six rebounds.
NC Central (0-1) will next play at Wofford College (Spartanburg, S.C.) on Tuesday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m.
For more information on NCCU Athletics, visit NCCUEaglePride.com, or download the NCCU Eagles Athletics app.
