Short-handed Lady Eagles Stun J.C. Smith in Double Overtime
NCCU Junior Nichole Davis Posts Career-Highs of 32 points, 11 Rebounds

DURHAM, NC ­ North Carolina Central University junior transfer Nichole Davis amassed career-highs of 32 points and 11 rebounds to spark a short-handed Lady Eagle squad to an 89-87 double overtime upset victory over Johnson C. Smith University at McLendon-McDougald Gym in Durham, NC.

With two starters out of the line-up and only seven Lady Eagles in uniform, several NCCU youngsters were asked to step up their games ... and they responded.

NCCU junior guard Tiona Beatty's 23 points, nine boards and six assists were crucial, but not unexpected. The difference for the victors was the play of four newcomers.

Davis' first career double-double was a Herculean performance in 48 minutes of work. Freshman forward Natasha Bailey also contributed her first double-double as a Lady Eagle with 10 points and 13 caroms, while adding four assists and four steals. Freshman center Shante' Collins dazzled the home crowd with season-highs of 10 points, seven rebounds and five blocked shots. And the biggest lift for the Lady Eagles was the play of rookie Christina Reid. Playing in just five minutes in three college games prior to Wednesday, Reid came off the bench and calmly executed the Lady Eagle offense from the point guard position, finishing with two points, three assists and only two turnovers in 27 minutes.

JCSU (10-7 overall, 4-5 CIAA) also posted four players in the double-figure scoring column, topped by Lauren Goss with 25 points.

In the first half of play, a three-pointer by JCSU's Melanie Harrison gave the Lady Golden Bulls a 26-18 lead at 6:54. NCCU then went on a 15-2 run to close out the half, capped off by a Beatty jumper with four seconds left to put the Lady Eagles ahead 33-28 at the break.

NCCU (5-12 overall, 4-4 CIAA) never trailed in the second half, enjoying its largest cushion at 61-48 after an old-fashioned three-point play by Bailey at the 7:54 mark.

JCSU chipped away at the Lady Eagle advantage and completely erased the 13-point deficit with 30 seconds to play when Harrison drained her fourth triple of the contest to tie the score at 74-74.

Beatty's running jumper with two seconds remaining in regulation missed the mark for NCCU, sending the game into overtime.

In the first extra session, neither team led by more than two points. Natasha Morgan's put-back jumper for JCSU with 15 seconds left tied the game at 80-80, forcing a second overtime.

NCCU held a slim 87-86 advantage when JCSU's Adrine Pettaway stepped to the charity stripe with 11 seconds remaining and the chance to put the Lady Golden Bulls on top. Pettaway, however, missed both free throws and JCSU was forced to foul. Beatty sank both foul shots to put the Lady Eagles ahead 89-86 with eight ticks on the clock.

With time running out, JCSU's Cassandra Penn attempted a desperation three-pointer that came up short, but Beatty was whistled for a foul, sending Penn to the foul line for three shots with three seconds remaining. After making the first, Penn's second attempted rimmed out. Following a JCSU time-out, Penn intentionally missed the third free throw attempt, but Beatty, who played all 50 minutes for the Lady Eagles, controlled the deflected rebound as time expired.