DURHAM, N.C. – Junior forward Morgan Callahan sealed a 53-48 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) win for the North Carolina Central University women's basketball team over Coppin State University on Saturday afternoon with a layup on an inbound pass by freshman guard Kyla Bryant in the final two seconds.
 
Callahan's late hoop capped a career-high, 21-point performance in front of a large NCCU Alumni Night crowd. Callahan also led the victorious Eagles with nine rebounds. Callahan made eight of her 12 field goal attempts (66.7%) and tallied three blocks.
 
Bryant and junior guard Janiah Jones each netted eight points as NCCU improved to 6-1 at home. Bryant matched her season-high rebound total with eight boards and Jones produced a team-high four steals.
 
With the victory, NC Central (10-11 Overall, 4-2 MEAC) moved into a tie for second place in the league standings with Coppin State (7-13, 4-2) and Howard University.
 
Callahan bucketed the first basket of the game and NCCU led throughout the first half. Callahan cashed in a couple more hoops in the second quarter that provided the NCCU Eagles with their largest leads of the afternoon at 15-6 and 25-16. CSU scored the final four points of the half to close within five points, 25-20, at the midway break.
 
Callahan led all players into the locker room with 12 points at halftime.
 
The Coppin State Eagles scored seven consecutive points midway through the third quarter to grab their only lead of the day at 29-27, but Callahan scored on NCCU's ensuing possession and the hosts would never fall behind again.
 
Jones swished a couple 3-pointers in the fourth quarter that helped NCCU maintain a single-digit cushion throughout the final period. Coppin State did pull within one point a few times, including the last minute. However, senior guard Kimeira Burks drew a charge in the last 10 seconds on CSU's attempt to take lead. Burks was then quickly fouled on the inbound play, and she swished both free throws with 3.8 ticks on the clock to put NCCU ahead by three points. Coppin State was unsuccessful on a long desperation inbound pass attempt, setting up Callahan's lay-in on Bryant's inbound pass from under the basket as NCCU improved its home record inside McDougald-McLendon Arena to 6-1.
 
The two teams entered the day leading the conference with over five made 3-pointers per game, but NCCU's defense held Coppin State to its worst perimeter shooting performance of the year as CSU missed all 16 of its shot attempts from beyond the arc.
 
The visitors did finish with a slight 46-40 rebounding edge as junior Laila Lawrence highlighted play for Coppin State with game-high totals of 22 points and 16 rebounds.
 
NC Central will next host MEAC foe Morgan State University on Monday at 5:30 p.m.
 
For more information on NCCU Athletics, visit NCCUEaglePride.com, or download the NCCU Eagles Athletics app.