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NCCU Goes Cold Late, Lady Eagles Struggle Against Lincoln

Lawrence Davis III @LawDavis13 @SpecMagSports

RALEIGH, N.C. – Junior guard Kieche White was the only North Carolina Central University women’s basketball player to score in double digits as the Eagles shot a season-low 26.4-percent from the field in a 68-53 non-conference home loss to Lincoln (Pa.) University on Saturday afternoon in McDougald-McLendon Arena.

NCCU (2-10) only trailed by two points, 46-44, after three quarters of play. However, the Eagles missed their first 11 field goal attempts in the fourth quarter and the Lions went on a 17-2 run over that span to pull away to the 15-point win.

Lincoln (11-2) – an NCAA Division II member of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) and currently ranked fifth in the D2SIDA Atlantic Region Poll – played the contest as an exhibition.

The Lions were led by senior guard Kwanza Murray, who was named the USBWA Division II Women’s Basketball National Player of the Week earlier this season. Murray scored a 12 of her game-high 21 points in the fourth quarter, accounting for 12 of Lincoln’s 22 points in the final frame in which the Lions outscored NCCU 22-9.

Junior Shantel Cheeks scored 12 of her 15 points in the first half to help Lincoln establish a 33-24 advantage at halftime.

NCCU made 12 of its 16 free throw attempts in a chippy third quarter in which the two teams were whistled for a combined 20 fouls. The Eagles outscored the Lions 20-13 in that quarter to within two points.

Lincoln made nine 3-pointers in the contest, including a pair of treys to open up the scoring in the fourth quarter. That started the decisive 17-2 run in which NCCU’s only points over that first seven minutes and 55 seconds of the period came on two free throws by White.

Ten Eagles scored as NCCU tried to find some consistent scoring options. Sophomore Jasmine Pollock tallied nine points while classmate Ashlyn Lockard and redshirt freshman Faith Williams each accounted for six points.

Senior Paulina Afriyie, NCCU’s leading scorer, was held to a season-low two points. However, Afriyie did have game-high totals of 10 rebounds and four steals.

N.C. Central will next play Long Island University in Brooklyn, New York, on Saturday, December 28 at 2 p.m.