DURHAM, N.C. – North Carolina Central outscored North Carolina A&T in every quarter except the third in a hard-fought women's basketball game befitting a rivalry.
Unfortunately for the Eagles, the third quarter was the difference in a 73-67 non-conference loss to their archrival at McDougald-McLendon Arena on Tuesday night.
NCCU saw its nine-point halftime lead evaporate in the second half. A&T outscored the Eagles 24-5 in the third quarter, including 17 unanswered points to open the quarter. A 38-29 NCCU lead turned into a 53-43 deficit entering the fourth quarter.
The margin grew to 13 early in the fourth quarter before the Eagles climbed back into the contest.
Najah Lane scored a layup off
Aniya Finger's steal to close the gap to 70-67 with under 30 seconds remaining, capping a 21-11 surge.
After an A&T free throw, the Eagles (1-7) had chances to pull within one possession but missed two free throws and a three-point attempt. A&T scored the last two points for the final score.
NCCU outscored A&T in the other three quarters 62-49.
Lane scored 13 points to lead a balanced Eagles' scoring attack.
Aysia Hinton and
Shakiria Foster both scored 12 points and Finger contributed 10 points and eight rebounds. Hinton, the MEAC three-point leader, knocked down four treys against A&T (3-4).
After falling behind in the third quarter, the Eagles responded with full-court pressure defense and a deep bench in the fourth quarter. Led by Hinton, Foster and Finger, the NCCU bench outscored A&T's reserves 17-2 in the fourth quarter.
The Eagles forced A&T to cough up the ball 12 times in the fourth quarter for an 11-2 advantage in turnover points. A&T countered with 14 of 18 free throws for 77.8 percent in the final quarter while the Eagles made 8 of 15 free throws for 53.3 percent.
Overall, NCCU tied a season-high by forcing 31 A&T turnovers and recorded a season-high 15 steals against the Aggies. Four Eagles –
Victoria Morris,
Tierney Coleman, Finger and Lane – totaled three steals each. The Eagles outscored A&T in turnover points 25-8.
A&T made 35 of 43 free throws for 81.4 percent compared to 17 of 27 for 63 percent for NCCU. Both teams are ranked high nationally in free throw attempts per game.
The loss offset the Eagles' best scoring output in the first half this season. Keyed by torrid three-point shooting, the Eagles took a 38-29 lead into the break, marking the second time this season that NCCU held a halftime lead.
NCCU drilled 6 of 13 behind the three-point arc for 46.2 percent in the first half. At one point, the Eagles made three consecutive treys – including two in a row by Foster – to stretch their lead to 35-23 late in the second quarter.
NEXT UP
The Eagles will begin a four-game road trek starting with national power South Carolina on Sunday, Dec. 7, in Columbia, S.C., at noon.
For more information on NCCU Athletics, visit NCCUEaglePride.com.
