Alexander MurpyThe N.C. Central Lady Eagles secured their first conference win of the season, winning 69-62 against Maryland Eastern Shore, who entered the matchup with an undefeated 5-0 conference record. Using their experience to full effect, graduate students Aniya Finger and Morgan Callahan combined for 44 points in the victory.
“This is our first year really being on the court together again,” Callahan said in the team’s postgame interview. “This game showed how good we can play together.”
The Lady Eagles got off to a slow start, committing 12 first-quarter turnovers and giving the Hawks a 10-point lead, ending the quarter down 22-12. However, the team didn’t let the early struggles affect the rest of the game, as the offense found its rhythm and the defense held firm.
“We got off to a slow start. We didn’t panic,” said Head Coach Terrence Baxter. “We’ve been comfortable being down before, but we came back in the second quarter and got our life back together, and we rolled on from there.”
The Lady Eagles outscored the Hawks in every quarter after the first while never allowing UMES more than 15 points per quarter. The defense forced 18 steals and pressured the Hawks into a season-high 34 turnovers.
Leading the charge was graduate forward Aniya Finger, who scored 30 points on 47% shooting from the field and 60% from three-point range. She also had six steals and 12 rebounds. This was the first time a Lady Eagle scored more than 30 points this season.The last occurrence was in January 2025, when former guard Kyla Bryant also scored 30 against UMES.
Morgan Callahan made history with her 96th career start, the most by any NCCU player since the program became Division I. She finished with 14 points on 66% shooting from the field and added eight rebounds and two steals.
Baxter praised both players for their contributions.
“Scoring is tough,” Baxter said. “And these two, they take that on the chin…I’m proud of the way they played today.”
Despite the win, the team still sits last in MEAC standings, facing their next conference opponent on Feb. 9.
Men’s Basketball
The N.C. Central men’s basketball team leaned on late-game defense and composure to take down conference opponent UMES, 65–63, moving into first place in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
Playing their first game in 15 days due to weather-related postponements, the Eagles got off to a strong start, building momentum early and jumping out to a double-digit lead within the first 10 minutes. Senior guard Jae Slack set the tone, scoring nine of the team’s 26 first-half points.
The Hawks rallied with a 12-0 run to tie the game at 20 and stayed close for the remainder of the half, though the Eagles maintained their lead for the majority of the game.
Neither team could create much separation in the second half, with the Hawks taking their largest lead of just two points at the 14:20 mark. The Eagles struggled from the field as the game started to close, failing to score a field goal in the final 4:26.
Tension peaked in the final minute when the Hawks tied the game at 63 with 40 seconds remaining. After a defensive stop gave NCCU the ball, sophomore guard Gage Lattimore was fouled with 3.8 seconds left and calmly made both free throws to put the Eagles ahead. A final layup attempt by UMES missed at the buzzer, sealing the win.
The Eagles finished with 28 points off 22 Hawks turnovers, repeatedly turning defense into transition opportunities to offset Maryland Eastern Shore’s hot three-point shooting.
Slack led the Eagles with 19 points, providing offense on all three levels and adding two steals. Dionte Johnson contributed 18 points and seven assists, delivering a strong all-around performance against his former university.
Winning this game felt “really good” Johnson said postgame.
“Some guys were under the weather, so it was important for others to step up and make an impact,” he said.
N.C. Central faces another conference matchup against Norfolk State on Saturday, Feb. 7 at 4:30 p.m. in Norfolk, Virginia.
