DURHAM, N.C. –   The North Carolina Central University women's basketball team earned a new moniker after Saturday's double overtime victory over Maryland Eastern Shore in its MEAC home opener.

The Elite Eight.

The Eagles, dressing only eight players, outlasted the Hawks 92-86 in two extra periods at McDougald-McLendon Arena in an MEAC thriller. NCCU (1-2 MEAC, 3-14 overall) gained its first conference win this season in front of the home fans despite having little depth. But the Eagles connected on 44 of 56 free throws which help them slip past UMES. The free throws made and attempted are both NCCU women's basketball school records. The previous marks were 31 made free throws against South Carolina State iin 2009 and 40 attempts against N.C. A&T in 2020.

NCCU last played in double overtime on Nov. 25, 2020, a 70-65 road victory over Campbell. 

"We came in with only eight players in uniform, and we just fought," NCCU Head Coach Terrence Baxter said. "They are learning how to fight for 40 minutes. They have stopped looking at me like they are tired. They know they got to play through it."

Buoyed by career-highs from sophomore guards Kyla Bryant (32 points) and Aysia Hinton (23 points, 12 rebounds), the Eagles rallied from an 11-point second-half deficit to force overtime, then gutted out two overtime periods despite running on fumes.

Unlike the previous two MEAC games where they played close but fell short, the Eagles dug deep and outplayed UMES when it counted. The Eagles finished with four players after Bryant fouled out with 30 seconds left in the second OT. Yet UMES, playing with five, could not dent into NCCU's lead.

"The win gives us confidence and lets us know no matter how many bodies we have, we can still win the game, and that we can compete with every team in the MEAC," Hinton said.

Bryant, having a spectacular season, added seven rebounds and five assists. Graduate forward Morgan Callahan finished with 18 points and seven rebounds and Shakiria Foster registered 17 points, five rebounds and three steals.

Every Eagle contributed to the victory including sophomore guard/forward Jada Tiggett, who added two blocks and two steals. Sophomore forward Jada Creech was a presence in the paint off the bench as she battled against the physical UMES frontline.

Baxter also gives credit to the home crowd, who he calls "the sixth man." Bryant emphatically agreed. 

"The crowd definitely played a role in how we performed, how we fought back," said Bryant, who has scored over 20 points in four of her last five games. "They fed us."

The Eagles needed the crowd's energy against the aggressive Hawks, who held a 54-42 rebounding advantage and outscored NCCU 46-24 in the paint. UMES pushed NCCU around in the first half in building a 10-point second-period margin before settling for a 33-25 halftime lead.

The momentum changed in the second half. It was the Eagles being the aggressors on both ends of the court. They started driving to the basket with authority, which resulted in the Hawks fouling.

The Eagles swished a whopping 44 of 56 free throws. Bryant canned 20 of 21 free throws and Hinton was 9 of 10 from the charity stripe.

"UMES plays very aggressive," Baxter said. "If you back down for one second, they got you. We backed down to start the game. If they are going to play like that, then we gotta drive to the bucket and live at the free throw line. As you see we shot 44 for 56."

NCCU also tightened up defensively, holding the Hawks (0-2 MEAC, 5-12 overall) without a field goal between the 7:34 mark and the 18-second mark of the fourth period.

However, Mahogany Lester's layup - the Hawks' second field goal of the fourth period – put UMES up 68-65. Bryant came through for the Eagles, swishing three free throws after being fouled attempting a deep three-pointer. Her free throws with three seconds left sent the game into the first overtime.

Hinton saved the Eagles in the first overtime after hitting a three to tie the score 77-77 with 29 seconds left. 

In the second overtime, the Eagles opened an 88-83 lead on two Bryant free throws with 34 seconds left. Several seconds later, Bryant was whistled for her fifth foul, becoming the eighth player to foul out of the game. 

She was the last of four Eagles to be disqualified, leaving four players to compete against five UMES players. But NCCU stretched the lead to six (92-86) on Hinton's two free throws and Laila Lewis closed the contest with a steal.

Brianna Barnes scored 14 points to lead four UMES double-figure scorers. Amiaya Morgan added 13 points.

The victory was satisfying for many reasons. The Eagles scored a season-high in points and Baxter saw his team grow right before his eyes. Hinton played her best game of the season against her former school.

"I really wanted to win," said Hinton, a UMES transfer from Durham, N.C. "It felt so good, so good."

The Eagles will not be dubbed the Elite Eight for long. Tierney Coleman, a talented point guard, will be returning soon. Baxter said the Eagles will look like a different team once they are healthy.

In the meantime, NCCU – featuring six freshmen and four sophomores on a 16-player roster – is learning how to win.

"I got a group that is gaining confidence every time they put that uniform on," Baxter said. "In our last two games, with two minutes to go we gave the other team the ball. Today, we didn't beat ourselves."

Added Bryant: "With this team, we are very young. We make a lot of mistakes, so we have to go back to our principles. Late in the game, we are doing better in going back to our principles. That helped us today."

The Eagles are back on the court Monday in an MEAC home contest against Delaware State inside McDougald-McLendon Arena at 5:30 p.m. The contest will be livestreamed on ESPN+.