Image via Doug Burt
Courtesy of NCCU Athletic Communications
68
Winner NCCU
65
SCSt
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCCU | 21 | 16 | 12 | 19 | 68 |
| SCSt | 18 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 65 |
to ORANGEBURG, S.C. – North Carolina Central opened a four-game road swing with a 68-65 women’s basketball victory over South Carolina State at Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center on Wednesday.
Tierney Coleman scored 17 points and Natalie Jasper added 16 points for the Eagles, who picked up their eighth win in a row over the Bulldogs. Both players reached career highs in an Eagles’ uniform to help NCCU close out down the stretch.
Aniya Finger contributed 11 points and 10 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season and Morgan Callahan tallied nine points and 11 assists in addition to four assists for a near double-double.
NCCU earned its third win of the season by holding the Bulldogs to 33.9 percent shooting and forcing 25 turnovers. Its biggest defensive play occurred in the final seconds.
Leading 66-65 with 5.2 seconds left, NCCU pressured South Carolina State into a difficult inbound pass from near midcourt. The ball landed in the opposite direction towards the Eagles’ basket. With seconds ticking away, the Bulldogs (2-8 MEAC, 5-20) rushed upcourt and fired an off balanced shot that hit the top of the backboard before landing out-of-bounds.
Jasper was fouled with 1.2 seconds left and canned two free throws for the three-point lead. Coleman then stole the fullcourt inbound pass as time expired.
Coleman added seven rebounds and two steals for the Eagles, who controlled the interior. NCCU outscored South Carolina State 36-20 in the paint and held a 42-25 rebounding advantage.
The contest was originally scheduled for Jan. 31 but was postponed to Wednesday due to wintry weather. Both teams meet again March 5 at McDougald-McLendon Arena in Durham, N.C., in the regular-season finale.
NEXT UP
The Eagles head to Washington, D.C. for a MEAC tilt against Howard on Saturday, Feb. 21, at 2:30 p.m. NCCU is fifth in the MEAC standings with four regular-season games remaining.
Team Statistics
| Game Stats | NCCU | SCSt |
|---|---|---|
| FG% | .390 | .339 |
| 3FG% | .333 | .333 |
| FT% | .773 | .682 |
| RB | 42 | 25 |
| TO | 25 | 16 |
| STL | 6 | 13 |
