Durham, N.C. – In a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) match-up, the Lady Eagles dropped a 59-58 heartbreaker to North Carolina Central Saturday afternoon in the McDougald-McLendon Gym.
With the score tied at 58, NCCU made a single free-throw with 24 seconds remaining to snatch the win.
After missing two games due to injury, sophomore guard
Keena Samuels stepped back on the court and made her presence known with a team-high 13 points. The third-best free-throw shooter in the MEAC went 5-for-7 from the line (71.4 percent).
Senior
Bria Harris wasn't far behind with 12 points and eight rebounds. This was her eighth time scoring in double digits this season.
Entering the starting lineup has treated
Genesis Lucas well as she finished with 11 points, her second consecutive game with the mark. She also had a career-high five assists and three steals.
Once again,
Jordan Swails didn't disappoint. She tallied 10 points, her fifth straight game in double figures. Swails also added six boards, four steals and three assists.
The Eagles (3-13 overall, 2-3 MEAC) headed into halftime with a 29-28 lead. Although both teams were scoreless for the first two minutes after intermission, it quickly became a back-and-forth battle. Coppin State was up by eight points, its largest lead, midway through the second half. NCCU diligently chipped away at the Eagles lead and managed to tie the game twice before going ahead by one. The two teams were evenly matched throughout with 14 ties and 14 lead changes.
Racquel Davis topped NCCU with a double-double (24 points, 16 rebounds). Morgan Jones added 12 points and three rebounds. Nikki Works, Khyra Conerly and Tisha Dixon tallied seven points each.
Coppin State held NCCU below 40 percent shooting from the field in both halves for a 38 percent overall total. This is the first MEAC opponent that has bested 37 percent from the floor.
The Eagles visit North Carolina A&T on Monday at 5:30 p.m. to conclude their southern road trip.
