Rock Hill, S.C. – Olivia Wagner's 18 points led Winthrop in a loss to North Carolina Central University at home Friday afternoon.
Winthrop (6-6) | NC Central (1-12)
Dec. 20, 2024 | Winthrop Coliseum
Winthrop 71, NC Central 76
How it Happened
First Quarter | The visitors led 4-0 two minutes in before Winthrop scored 15 of the next 22 points to take a 15-11 lead at the 4:16 mark after a jumper by
Mya Pierfax. The Eagles also held NC Central scoreless for three minutes. The opposition from Durham then scored seven straight points to take an 18-15 lead inside of a minute while also holding Winthrop scoreless for nearly four minutes.
Ciara Harris's three-pointer tied the contest with 27 seconds left in the frame and this would be the score entering the second quarter.
Second Quarter | NC Central outscored Winthrop by an 8-3 margin in the first five minutes of the second quarter, taking a 26-21 lead. The visitors continued to maintain a lead ranging from 3-5 points for the next four minutes. A three-pointer by NC Central then put them up 31-25 with a minute left as the visitors would go on to lead 33-27 at the half.
Third Quarter | Winthrop went on a 7-0 run to start the second half, taking a 34-33 lead.
Nuria Cunill capped the run with a fastbreak layup at the 7:10 mark. NC Central answered with nine of the next 11 points to reclaim the lead at 42-36 at the 4:16 mark. The Eagles again scored seven straight points for a 43-42 lead nearly two minutes later only to have NC Central score four quick points to go back up by three with two minutes left in the period. Winthrop then struck back with five free throws to lead by two a few seconds later but the visitors led 49-48 after a basket and a free throw with nearly a minute left.
Oliva Wagner's two free throws gave Winthrop a 50-49 lead with 46 seconds left but the visitors re-claimed the lead on a triple with 30 seconds left.
Amourie Porter's layup knotted the score with 12 seconds to go but another three-pointer by the visitors with six seconds left gave them a 55-52 lead going into the final quarter.
Fourth Quarter | NC Central extended their lead to six immediately to start the fourth quarter on a triple but two minutes saw the Eagles tie it up at 59 on Wagner's layup. The visitors scored the next four points to take a 63-59 lead with 6:18 left only to have
Marissa Gasaway's layup tie it again at 65 with nearly four minutes to go.
Ronaltha Marc's basket on the next possession for the Eagles put Winthrop back on top with 3:16 to go but four free throws by NC Central put them ahead 69-67 with 1:43 left. Then a basket plus the foul put the visitors ahead 71-67 with a minute left. Another Gasaway basket immediately thereafter made it a two-point game with 46 seconds remaining but NC Central scored again on a putback layup with 19 seconds to go. Marc's jumper with 11 seconds again cut it to two. NC Central would then only hit one free throw on their one-and-one opportunity, giving the Eagles one last chance to try to tie the game and force overtime with seven seconds left.
Ciara Harris was called for traveling before the Eagles could hoist the tying three-point attempt and NC Central iced the game with two free throws with four seconds remaining, giving the visitors their first win on the season.
Statistical Standouts (Team)
- Winthrop moves to 618-913 all-time as a program
- Winthrop moves to 355-328 all-time at home
- Paisana is now seventh in school history in career triples made (106)
- The 4-1 record in non-conference play at home is one of the best in school history in the NCAA Division I/Big South era for the Eagles (began in 1986-87)
- Winthrop outscored NC Central 18-8 in bench points
- It was a thrilling contest as there were a combined 32 lead changes and 26 times the score was tied
- Winthrop shot nearly 40% from the field in the contest and shot 75% from the free throw line
- Okoh had a career-high in rebounds with 13
- Pierfax matched her career-high in points with nine
Statistical Standouts (Individual)
Olivia Wagner (36 min, 6-13 FG, 3 assists, 18 pts)
Marissa Gasaway (28 min, 6-9 FG, 8 rebs, 16 pts)
Leonor Paisana (30 min, 7 rebs, 6 assists, 3 steals)
Blessing Okoh (24 min, 13 rebs, 10 offensive rbs)
Up Next
After another long layoff due to Christmas, Winthrop wraps up the year 2024 and non-conference play by heading to Knoxville, Tenn. to face the Volunteers on Sunday, Dec. 29 at 2:00 p.m.
The matchup will be a homecoming for Eagle head coach
Semeka Randall-Lay, as she was a standout guard at Tennessee from 1997-2001 for the legendary late Pat Summitt, winning the national championship as a freshman in 1998 on a Volunteer team that went 39-0.
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