NCCU Holds Off Catamounts Behind Big Buckets by Burks

CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Junior Kimeira Burks led the North Carolina Central University women’s basketball team to a 74-66 non-conference road win at Western Carolina University by scoring a season-high 23 points on Monday night.

The Eagles led by as many as 23 points in the second half, but the Catamounts used a 19-5 run in the fourth quarter to make things interesting down the stretch. Burks was the only NCCU player to make a field goal in the final frame, but those eight points on three made hoops helped keep the visitors ahead by two possessions heading into the final minute. Sophomore Morgan Callahan then made four consecutive free throws in the last 20 seconds to help preserve the eight-point maroon and gray victory.

NC Central improved to 5-7 on the season with its third win in its last four games. The five non-conference victories are the most since the Eagles won five non-conference games in 2013-14. The Eagles are scheduled to play three more non-conference games and one more win in those contests will give NCCU the most non-conference wins in its Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference DI era (since 2011-12).

Burks poured in five 3-pointers for a second time this season on the way to her new NCCU career-high, 23-point total. Burks also led the Eagles with seven rebounds and three steals.

Callahan had a hot hand for the victors, making five of her six shot attempts from the floor (83.3%) and 8 of 12 (66.7%) free throws on the way to filling up the box score with 18 points, three rebounds, three assists, and three steals.

Junior Tippy Robertson drilled a 3-pointer for the first basket of the contest in NCCU’s wire-to-wire win.

The Eagles shot 53.8 percent from the field, including 60 percent from three-point range, in the first quarter while holding the Catamounts to just 29.4 percent accuracy to construct an 18-10 advantage after 10 minutes of play.

The maroon and gray lead grew to as many as 19 points in the second quarter before Western Carolina finished the period on a 9-2 run to inch with a dozen points, 40-28, at halftime. Burks drilled a pair of 3-pointers in a 30-second span, including a contested trey from the left wing and a very deep trifecta from the right wing on the next Eagle possession, to highlight NCCU’s first-half scoring surge.

Burks led all players at the midway point with 15 points and four rebounds. Sophomore Sydney Avoletta recorded six points in the first half on the way to a season-high seven points. Avoletta also had four rebounds and two blocks.

The Eagles scored the first nine points of the second half, including five points by Callahan, to fly out to a 21-point lead (49-28) early in the third quarter. NCCU’s cushion grew to as many as 23 points and the Eagles continued to lead comfortably, 61-43, heading into the fourth quarter before the Catamounts made their improbable fourth-quarter comeback attempt.

Western Carolina slipped to 6-7 on the season with only its second home loss of the season (5-2). Graduate student Kyla Allison led all players with a season-high 25 points, including 13 points in the final frame.

The Eagles finished the night making half of their field goal attempts and they were even better from behind the arc, sinking eight of their 13 tries from three-point range for 61.5 percent precision.

Sophomore Nia Ford swished all three of her shot attempts for eight points.

NC Central will next host North Carolina A&T State University on Wednesday (Dec. 21) at noon.