DURHAM, N.C. – Senior guard Kira Lowery scored a team-high 18 points and sophomore forward Aniya Finger posted a double-double to highlight play for the North Carolina Central University women's basketball team in a 79-67 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference home loss to Norfolk State University on Monday evening inside McDougald-McLendon Arena.
 
Finger tallied 12 points and 12 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season. Lowery made majority of her shot attempts from the field (5-8) and was flawless from the free throw line (6-6) on the way to her 18 points.
 
The Spartans remained in first place in the MEAC standings with the triumph. Norfolk State (23-5 Overall, 11-2 MEAC) has won six straight games since losing to the Eagles in overtime on Feb. 6.
 
Lowery made every shot she attempted in the first quarter to help the Eagles hold a narrow 16-15 edge after 10 minutes of play. Lowery swished all four of her field goal attempts, including a pair of 3-pointers, while making all three of her free throw tries to provide 13 of NCCU's 16 points.
 
However, Norfolk State doubled up the Eagles 24-12 in the second quarter to pull out to a 39-28 halftime advantage. The Spartans shot 55.6 percent from the field in the second stanza while holding NCCU to just 26.7 percent shooting over that decisive span.
 
NSU graduate student Camille Downs led all players at halftime with 14 points.
 
The Spartans maintained a double-digit cushion throughout the second half. Norfolk State led 61-42 at the end of the third quarter. The Eagles outscored the Spartans 25-18 in the fourth quarter, but was never able to pull within single digits.
 
Downs finished with a game-high 25 points. Sophomore Kierra Wheeler totaled 19 points and a game-high 14 rebounds for the visitors while graduate student Deja Francis supplied 10 points and seven assists.
 
Junior Kimeira Burks scored eight points for the maroon and gray while classmate Kimia Carter chipped in seven points.
 
NC Central (13-15, 7-6) will next conclude its regular season with a MEAC clash at South Carolina State University on Thursday, March 2 at 5:30 p.m.
 
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