North Carolina Central University

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

     MORROW, GA – North Carolina Central University rallied from a seven-point second-half deficit to defeat upset-minded Newberry College, 73-66, in the first round of the NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball South Atlantic Region Championship in Morrow, Ga. on Friday (March 9).
     No. 7 seed Newberry used a 7-1 run to close out the first half and take a 31-30 lead into the locker room at the break. The Lady Indians then scored the first six points of the second stanza to go ahead 37-30 at 17:57.
     Newberry’s cushion was 45-49 with 14:06 on the clock, but the No. 2 seed Lady Eagles went on a 16-4 tear over the next five-and-a-half minutes to take a 55-49 lead at 8:46. NCCU never looked back, pushing the margin to as many as 11 points (68-57, 2:34).
     NCCU (26-5) had three student-athletes score in double-figures, topped by senior forward Cassie King with 18 points, nine rebounds, four assists and two steals. Sophomore forward LaQuanda Williams netted 16 points, including 14 after intermission, while freshman center Jori Nwachukwu amassed 13 points and 12 boards for her ninth double-double of the season. 
     “We knew it was going to be a different style of play for us,” said NCCU head coach Joli Robinson. “You could tell by the way we played in the first half … we were passive. But we came out in the second half and showed a lot of character. “Newberry is very, very quick,” Robinson added. “Their guards handle the ball real well.”
     This is the second consecutive season the Lady Eagles have advanced to the regional semifinals, where they will play Georgia College and State University on Saturday (March 10) at 6 p.m. NCCU’s 26 victories represents the most in school history.
     Newberry (24-7) was paced by a season-best 24 points by junior guard Ashlee Wright, who shot 9-of-14 from the field, 1-for-1 from three-point range and 5-for-5 from the free throw line, while adding five assists in 37 minutes of work. Fellow junior guard Ashley Marine came off the Lady Indians’ bench for 12 points, while junior forward Tonique Frasier contributed 10 points and a team-best eight rebounds.
      “They (NCCU) clearly have one of the best teams in the region,” said Newberry head coach Jason Brink. “Central thrives off the turnovers they create. The lead we had evaporated when they turned up the pressure and we turned it over.”
     Brink, however, had high praise for his squad, as well. “I am proud of my team because we looked like we belonged here in the national tournament,” he said. “I thought we came out very strong in the second half, but our turnovers caught up with us.”