MORROW, Ga. -- One big opponent on a tear and a rough shooting night proved to be N.C. Central's undoing in the Eagles' final women's basketball game in NCAA Division II. 

Marquita Driskell, a 6-2 transfer from the University of Georgia, set the pace by tying her career high of 35 points and pulling down 18 rebounds, leading Georgia College & State University to a 72-63 win over the Eagles Saturday night. 

The loss in the semifinals of the NCAA Division II South Atlantic Regional at Clayton State's Athletic & Fitness Center stopped NCCU's school-record 19-game winning streak, ending the Eagles' best season ever at 26-6. 

For NCCU, which was seeded No. 2 in the regional and ranked No. 19 nationally, it was the Eagles' first loss in six NCAA Tournament contests on neutral floors. 

The Bobcats' victory was their first in three NCAA Tournament meetings with the Eagles, avenging a 51-48 first-round loss last year in Raleigh. 

"We knew playing Georgia College would be a tough game, and we'd have to be on top of our 'A' game," said veteran NCCU coach Joli Robinson, who will guide the Eagles into their first season in NCAA Division I in the fall. "We played some good, solid minutes. Our shooting percentage wasn't good, but we played. We were in the game until the last minute, and then we threw the ball away a couple of times. 

"But we had a great season. This doesn't take away from anything we did. We won the CIAA championship [for the first time in 23 years]." 

Tiauna Brantley was the only other Bobcat in double figures with 12 points, while 5-2 junior point guard Lindsey Smith had a career-high 12 assists. 

"I'll bet that was fun to watch," Bobcats coach John Carrick said. "They got the breaks last year, and we got them this time. What is it they say? Sometimes you get the bear and sometimes the bear gets you." 

Freshman guard Jasmine Newkirk led NCCU with 19 points, while senior Cassie King added 15 in her final college game and LaQuanda Williams also added 15. Freshman Jori Nwachukwu had eight points to go with her 13 rebounds. 

"The game was pretty rough," said King, the only senior on this season's team. "We came out and played hard. For it to be my last game, I'm not feeling much right now. 

"I'm going to miss playing with everybody, but they're going to have a good season next year and coach is going to do her part." 

It was first loss by the Eagles in their 19 games with both Williams, who joined the team at Christmas break, and Nwachukwu in the lineup. 

"We accomplished a lot this year," Nwachukwu said. "We won the CIAA championship, but we just weren't able to win a regional championship. I'm proud of this team." 

GC&SU shot 46.6 percent from the floor to 37.1 for NCCU and outrebounded the Eagles 46-39. The Bobcats committed 14 turnovers to the Eagles' nine, season lows for both NCCU and an Eagle opponent this season. 

NCCU was 9-for-20 from the free-throw stripe while GC&SU was 15-for-23. 

Neither team led by more than six points until the final minute of a game, which had 15 lead changes and 10 ties. The last tie was on a short jumper from Nwachukwu to make it 63-63 with 1:24 to go, before a pair of Driskell free throws with 1:07 showing gave the Bobcats the lead for good. 

NCCU was 0-for-3 from the floor with two turnovers the rest of the way, as the winners went 5-for-6 from the stripe plus Smith's meaningless layup in the closing seconds. 

"We met one of our goals here, which was to get here and then make it past the first round," Newkirk said. "We did a good job the whole season. We just fell a little bit short tonight." 

NOTES -- The winner of Monday's contest will advance to the NCAA's Elite Eight, March 21-24 in Kearney, Neb. n NCCU was the only one of six North Carolina teams in the 64-team national field to win its first-round game.