ORANGEBURG, S.C. – Redshirt junior forward Aniya Finger led all players with 19 points and eight rebounds, and the North Carolina Central University women’s basketball team secured a convincing 75-61 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) road win at South Carolina State University on Saturday afternoon.
Finger’s 19 points and eight rebounds were both season-high totals as she accumulated those sums in just 23 minutes of action coming off the bench as she continues to increase her playing time after injury. Finger made nine of her 14 field goal attempts for 64.3 percent precision.
In NCCU’s second straight wire-to-wire win, the Eagles once again used balanced scoring with five other players scoring between 7-12 points. Senior Kimia Carter topped that group with 12 points while both junior Morgan Callahan and freshman Kyla Bryant each netted 11 points. Freshman Jada Tiggett chipped in nine points and junior Janiah Jones supplied seven points.
The Eagles outscored the Bulldogs 24-14 in the first quarter and never relinquished the advantage. NC Central (8-10 Overall, 2-1 MEAC) swished four of its seven total made 3-pointers in the first 10 minutes to help take control of the conference clash.
Carter scored all 12 of her points from beyond the arc, marking her second straight game drilling four treys. Bryant’s streak of scoring in double digits as how reached a dozen game while leading the maroon and gray with five assists and three steals. Tiggett led all players with three blocks.
South Carolina State (1-17, 0-3) closed within eight points of the Eagles a few times in the second half, but could not get any closer in dropping its 10th straight loss. Senior Morgan Beacham and freshman Taniya McGowan led the Bulldogs with 11 points while senior Jordan Releford contributed 10 points and a game-high five steals.
NC Central will next play at University of Maryland Eastern Shore (Princess Anne, Md.) on Saturday, Jan. 27 at 2 p.m.
Source: Kevin Buczek/NCCUEaglePride.com
