WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senior guard Kimeira Burks hit back-to-back 3-pointers to start overtime and the North Carolina Central University women's basketball team held onto the lead from that point in knocking off Howard University, 70-64, in a key showdown between two of the best teams in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference on Saturday afternoon.
 
Five Eagles scored in double digits in completing the season series sweep of the Bison. NCCU first defeated Howard, 69-66, in another overtime clash on Jan. 6.
 
Freshman Kayla Bryant paced the Eagles with 14 points. Burks scored her dozen points on four made 3-pointers. Junior Morgan Callahan tallied her eighth double-double of the season with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Junior Janiah Jones chipped in 11 points while senior Tippy Robertson filled up the box score with 10 points, five rebounds, six assists and three steals.
 
NCCU (12-11 Overall, 6-2 MEAC) pulled ahead of Howard (8-14, 5-3) in the league standings with its fourth consecutive victory. The Eagles moved over .500 on the season, marking the latest NCCU has been over .500 into a season since fully joining the NCAA Division I ranks in 2011-12 (23 games).
 
The two teams played the first half within two possessions of each other. Howard closed the half on a 13-7 run to take a narrow 30-27 edge at halftime with freshman Tyana Walker leading all players at the midway point with 10 points. The Bison grabbed 11 offensive rebounds over the first 20 minutes to help pull ahead going into the second half.
 
NCCU was able to stay within one possession by making 10 of its 12 free throw attempts (83.3%) before the intermission. Jones made the only 3-pointer for the Eagles in the half and she led the maroon and gray with seven points heading into the locker room.
 
After shooting just 10 percent from behind the arc in the first half, NCCU found its form from 3-point range in the third quarter. Robertson and Burks made back-to-back trifectas for the Eagles in the first minute of the second half and they sparked a big third quarter that NCCU outscored Howard by 23-11. NC Central shot 57.1 percent from the field in that frame, including 50 percent from long range.
 
The Bison rallied and slowly chipped away at the deficit before freshman Janyah Bohanon made a short-range shot in the final 10 seconds to level the score and force the five-minute overtime.
 
Burks bucketed her third and fourth trifectas of the contest in the early stages of OT and this time NCCU's defense was able to Howard from completely rallying back. Jones and junior Aniya Finger each hit a pair of free throws in the final minute to seal the six-point triumph.
 
Bohanon led the Bison with 14 points. Sophomore Nile Miller led all players with 20 rebounds.
 
NC Central will next play another big road game MEAC rival Norfolk State University on Monday at 5:30 p.m. The Spartans currently sit in first place in the league standings, one game ahead of the Eagles.
 
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