DURHAM, N.C. – Senior guard Kimia Carter scored 10 of her team-high 16 points in the fourth quarter to soar the Eagles past South Carolina State University, 73-54, in Thursday's regular season finale and secure the third seed for the North Carolina Central University women's basketball team heading into the 2024 MEAC Basketball Tournament.
 
The Eagles will enter postseason play on a three-game win streak. With the victory, NC Central (15-14 Overall, 9-5 MEAC) sets new modern era records of 15 regular season wins, regular season win percentage (.517) and MEAC win percentage (.643).
 
Carter scored her key 10 points in the first four minutes of the fourth quarter to highlight a decisive 16-2 run. Carter started the surge with back-to-back 3-pointers before adding a floating hoop in the paint. She capped the rally with a pull-up jumper that gave NCCU a 66-44 lead and the Eagles coasted to the final buzzer from there.
 
Carter knocked down a total of four 3-pointers on the way to her 16-point performance.
 
Fellow senior guard Kimeira Burks also connected on four treys as she supplied 12 points. Burks bucketed three of those triples in the fourth quarter.
 
The Eagles held South Carolina State without a made field goal for the first nine minutes of the game and never trailed as NCCU doubled up the visitors, 14-7, after the first quarter of play. The Bulldogs, who only shot 8.3 percent from the field over the first 10 minutes, did heat up a bit to 41.2 percent shooting in a level 21-21 second quarter to enter halftime still trailing by seven points, 35-28.
 
NCCU was a sizzling 13 of 14 from the free throw line for 92.9 percent precision in the first half. Junior center Nijah Cunningham led the maroon and gray at the midway break scoring all seven of her points in the first 20 minutes on perfect shooting (2-2 FG, 3-3 FT).  
 
The Eagles increased their shooting percentage in all four quarters, winning the third 16-12 and the fourth 22-14 to eventually pull away to the 19-point victory.
 
Redshirt junior forward Morgan Callahan continued her stellar season with 14 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, two blocks and one assist while registering her ninth double-double of the campaign.
 
Redshirt junior forward Aniya Finger chipped in eight points and eight rebounds. Senior guard Tippy Robertson totaled seven points, four assists and two steals. Freshman Jada Tiggett added six rebounds and a game-high four blocks.
 
Freshman forward Taniya McGowan scored a game-high 20 points to highlight play for South Carolina State (2-27, 1-13). The Bulldogs will be the eighth seed in the MEAC tourney.
 
NC Central will open up play in the 2024 MEAC Basketball Tournament at the Norfolk Scope Arena in the quarterfinals against sixth-seeded Delaware State University on Thursday, March 14. The MEAC will release the official brackets soon.
 
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