Norfolk State Hands NCCU First Conference Loss

NORFOLK, VA – The North Carolina Central University women’s basketball team pulled to within one possession in the final minute before suffering a narrow 69-64 road loss at Norfolk State University in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) seesaw affair in which both teams held double-digit leads on Saturday in Joseph Echols Hall.

The Spartans led 66-55 heading into the final minute, but the Eagles scored nine straight points to close within three points. However, NCCU was forced to foul and senior E’Lexus Davis ended the run by making both free throws to seal NSU’s triumph.

Four starters scored in double digits for the Eagles. Senior guard Kieche White scored a team-high 14 points while junior forward Kiyana Brown, junior guard Cherelle Washington, and sophomore forward Anissa Rivera all bucketed 13 points.

Brown registered her second straight double-double by pulling down a career-high 12 rebounds. Washington poured in a season-high 13 points and made a team-best three steals. Rivera was one rebound shy of a double-double.

After missing eight straight field goal attempt to fall behind 8-2, NCCU made six of its next seven tries to close the first quarter on a 15-6 run. The rally started with 11 unanswered points by the Eagles. White was NCCU’s spark with 10 points in the first quarter, including a 3-point play in the final minute to put the visitors ahead 17-14.

White then drilled a 3-pointer to cap a 9-0 run to start the second quarter to extend the maroon and gray lead to double figures. NCCU led throughout that period before settling for a 37-28 halftime lead.

The Eagles returned to the court cold in the third quarter, shooting 23.1-percent from the field and 12.5-percent from the free-throw line in that period. Norfolk State outscored NCCU 21-7 during that span by shooting 53.8-percent to take a 49-44 advantage into the fourth quarter.

The Spartans extended their lead to a dozen points with less than two minutes to go in the fourth before the Eagles tried to make its improbable comeback in the final minute. NCCU’s nine straight points included a pair of treys by Rivera before a putback layup by Brown closed the gap to 67-64 with 13.8 seconds left. The Eagles quickly fouled on the ensuing inbounds play, but the made free throws by Davis ended the rally.

Davis finished with 13 points, seven assists, five steals, one rebound and one block. Junior guard Jalynn Holmes topped the Spartans with 18 points, junior guard Jaiden Morris followed with 14 points, and senior Mangela Ngandjui logged a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds.

NCCU (2-4, 0-1 MEAC) and Norfolk State (2-5, 1-2 MEAC) will play another game in Norfolk on Sunday at 3 p.m.