Box Score

DURHAM, NC--Diana Choibekova scored a game-high 23 points and connected on seven 3--pointers to lead Winthrop past winless North Carolina Central 63-44 on the road Saturday afternoon.

With Choibekova and Samiya Wright bombing away from the outside to start the game, Winthrop jumped out to an early 17-9 lead in the opening six minutes.  Choibekova, who came into the game ranked third in the nation for 3-pt. field goals made per game, had three treys and added a lay-up as she scored 11 of Winthrop's first 17 points.  Wright had the other six.

The Eagles never trailed in the game and led 32-19 at halftime as they improve to 5-4 on the season while NCCU falls to 0-12.  Winthrop is now 3-0 all-time against NCCU with those three wins coming during the last three seasons.

Wright and freshman guard Aliyah Kilpatrick joined Choibekova in double figures as they fihished with 10.  Winthrop's leading scorer on the season, Dequesha McClanahan, scored three  points in the first half and finished with eight. .NCCU, which was playing with just six players the entire game due to a rash of injuries, was led by Chasidy Williams with 20 points while Amber Neely chipped in with 11.

"We were able to get a lot of players minutes today and give Taylor Calvert some rest. It was a very business-like effort by our team," said Winthrop head coach Kevin Cook.  Calvert did not play in the game due to a pulled leg muscle.

"Alyhough we took control of the game early, I thought our team stayed focused throughout, and althouigh Aliyah Kilpatrick didn't shoot the ball particularly well she played well for a freshman with 10 points, five assists and just two turnovers. We put a huge emphasis this past week in practice on valuing the basketball and we had just 11 turnovers today," he said.

Winthrop took early control of the game with a 7-0 run just past the midway point of the first half to take a 24-11 lead on Choibekova's fourth three ball of the game.

The Eagles came out in the second half to quickly extend their lead to 18 at 39-21 in just over two minutes on a bucket by McClanahan, another trey by Choibekova and a long two-point jumper from the corner by Wright.  The lead ballooned to 26 on a 15-4 run in just over six minutes to put Winthrop up 54-28. Back-to-back baskets by  Nunn and another three by Choibekova ended the run with 10:24 left in the game. 

Choibekova's seventh and final 3-pointer of the game gave Winthrop its largest lead of the game at 59-32 with 6:47 remaining, but Winthrop managed only four points the rest of the way as NCCU closed out the game with a 12-4 run.

Cook and his team will now turn their attention to next Tuesday night when Winthrop hosts High Point in the Big South Conference opener.  High Point was picked to finish second, one spot ahead of Winthrop, in the preseason conference poll.  Tip off for the game is set for 7:10 and all elementary school students will be admitted free to the game and also have an opportunity to have their picture taken with "Santa" Big Stuff, the Winthrop mascot, and the Spirit Squad "Elves" prior to the game.