It seemed to end all too soon. The basketball season for the women's team at N.C. Central came to a painful end Saturday night. 

The Eagles never really challenged in the second half, dropping an 80-65 decision to CIAA rival Shaw in the semifinals of the NCAA Division II South Atlantic Regional at the Bears' rickety old Spaulding Gym. 

It certainly was a tough way to end the season. But like veteran Eagles coach Joli Robinson said after Saturday's game, one tough night was not a fair way to judge a great season that had the potential to be even better. 

The Eagles didn't get any of the big prizes they wanted -- the CIAA Western Division title, the CIAA Tournament crown nor the championship of this regional -- but they won an awful lot of basketball games. And they got the program back to the level where Robinson had it before she had to direct a massive rebuilding job following the end of the Amba Kongolo era in 2002. 

This season's NCCU team finished with a 23-7 record, the third best in school history. The Eagles got their third at-large NCAA bid in six seasons and their fourth 20-win season in the last eight. And for the third time in as many NCAA tournaments under Robinson, the Eagles didn't lose until they ran into a top-seeded home team cheered on by a raucous partisan crowd. 

And any winning tradition at NCCU belongs entirely to Robinson and the players and coaches she has brought into the program. Before the Charlotte native and Winston-Salem State alumna, who had only high school coaching experience, took the helm in 1996, NCCU's all-time women's basketball record was 166-313. 

Robinson is 155-129 in her 10 seasons, and 142-90 over the last eight. The program is well-positioned for NCCU's move to NCAA Division I for the 2007-08 season. 

This season's team will have some significant, but not devastating, graduation losses. Combo guard Porschia Holmes and forward Lisa Richardson finished their careers with their best season, which only seemed to get better as the schedule played out. 

Holmes became one of the better point guards in the CIAA, and set the school's single-season assist record with 155. 

Winger Natasha Bailey was a solid secret weapon off the bench, while shooting guard Latoya Jones not only helped keep the team focused but provided an example by graduating in 3½ years despite her "Prop 48" status as a freshman. 

And big center Shanté Collins was a force in the paint despite having to deal with some very tough circumstances off the floor. Sadly, her mother died before her senior season and that is real -- not imagined -- adversity. 

Despite the losses, the Eagles will be in very good shape next fall. The centerpiece of the show, junior forward Cassie King, has already set the NCCU career scoring record with 1,622 points and should be seeing her jersey hanging from the McLendon-McDougald Gym rafters after next season. 

Sophomore guard Karla Gamble is one of the CIAA's better shooters and a solid defensive player as well. Freshman Nakisha Stewart is a real force in the paint and made the conference's all-freshman team. 

And freshman guard Tonia Roundtree, who led Northern High to the state finals a year ago, will be one of the league's better point guards. 

The Eagles are going to win a lot more games than they lose again next season, and will challenge again for those elusive championships. 

Maybe they can even break the Shaw spell and be in position to host the regional.