(Dover, Del.) – Wednesday evening, the Delaware State women's basketball team (6-13, 3-3 MEAC) pulled out a 66-56 victory at home over the North Carolina Central Eagles (3-14, 2-5 MEAC), thanks to forward NaJai Pollard tallying career-highs in points (23), rebounds (15) and field goals made (11), in addition to guard Aaliyah Davis nearly registering a triple-double totaling 11 points (5-of-12), 10 assists and nine boards.

With this win, the Hornets surpassed last season's overall (5) and conference (2) win totals, along defeating the Eagles for the first time since a 58-49 home triumph on Feb. 2, 2013.

The night began with DSU shooting 65 percent (11-of-17) in the first quarter on its way to building a 23-12 lead, highlighted by Pollard scoring seven points and the Hornets totaling nine assists.  The next 10 minutes, meanwhile, featured the Eagles exploding for 25 points to take a 37-36 lead into the locker room, thanks to guards Morgan Jones (8) and Dominique Adams (5) combining for13 points.

Coming into Wednesday's contest, the Hornets were just 1-13 on the season when trailing at the half. 

Nevertheless, Delaware State reversed the trend in the second stanza, beginning in the third quarter by limiting the Eagles to just 12 points on 3-for-14 (.214) shooting.  Offensively, the Hornets scored 22 points, which included Pollard registering her team-leading fourth double-double of the season with 21 points on a whooping 10-for-14 (.714) effort from the floor and 13 boards.  Freshman Bobbi Floyd also had a big quarter, scoring seven of her 11 points (5-of-11), whereas Davis entered the double-digit assist column (10).   

The fourth quarter had only a combined 15 points, but DSU built its largest lead of the night to 13 at the 2:28 mark, with Pollard finding Davis for a layup to make it a 64-51 contest.

When the final buzzer sounded, Pollard's 15 boards led the way for DSU tying a season-high in rebounds (51), whereas defensively, the Hornets limited NCCU to 27 percent (18-of-66).  Davis' 10 assists, on the other hand, not only was the most this season by a Lady Hornet, but it led the way for Delaware State's season-high 23 dimes.

Coming up, the Columbia Blue & Red will conclude their season-long three-game homestand against South Carolina State this Saturday afternoon (2 p.m.).  Earlier this season, DSU suffered a 61-48 loss at SCSU on Jan. 16.

Stingers

Delaware State scored 46 points in the paint, compared to NCCU's 20… Aaliyah Davis was the first Lady Hornet to tally double-digit assists since Jade Washington had 12 last season against Wesley… NaJai Pollard's 15 boards was the most by any DSU player this season, in addition to it being her sixth double-digit rebounding contest… Pollard was also a perfect 7-for-7 heading into the third quarter… Bobbi Floyd (11) and Davis (11) tallied career-highs in points… The Lady Hornets committed 22 turnovers, compared to NCCU's 13... The Hornets are now 4-2 all-time against the Eagles.

Postgame Comments (NaJai Pollard, Head Coach Barbara Burgess and Aaliyah Davis)

Media: Opening comments about tonight's game.

Burgess: I'm just really proud of the young ladies. Just the last couple of weeks, I've just been telling them to just fight. Fight to the very end, try to win each quarter, play hard while you're out there. You need a sub we'll get you a sub. We need everybody to contribute while you're out there, it's a team effort. So that's really what we been preaching. I have been preaching and coaches been preaching the last couple of weeks. Our zones we mix it up a little bit, don't do too well in man, but zones kind of shut the guards down tonight and you know I'm really proud of the young ladies.

Davis: I don't even know what to say. I mean, we played good tonight. Everyone came together. I believe that the first time all season, well since I been here, that we all came together. We played hard, we played for each other and we had fun. And I mean that's what it's, that's what it's all about having fun out there and having fun and doing what we do in practice and going out there in game situations and you know putting it all together to come out with a win.

Pollard: I feel like we played great today as a team and we just came together and really like everyone just has a set goal for themselves saying you know I'm tired of losing.  That's that was just my mode to go off on today's game. Just go hard until it pays off just do whatever I can do to help my team out. And that's what we did today and we got the win so that's all I could ever ask for. So hopefully we get another win, win, win, after win.

Media: NaJai, you had a monster game today tallying career highs and points and rebounds. Talk about your efforts and what that did for the team.

Pollard: Well, I talk to my parents and they just tell me do it for your great grandparents, just do it just to do it. If you want to go pro overseas or anything, you can do anything just put your mind to it and they say you don't even know how much talent you have yet. So I just knew that for them and also for myself cause I like winning so.

Media: Coach Burgess, comment on NaJai's huge game.

Burgess: NaJai, like I said, every game is a surprise to me.  She was in a slump the last two games and you know I guess she talked to her parents. I know she talked to a couple of coaches and she just came out on fire and I can't be more pleased. She just gave it her all tonight.  Her shot was working, the rebounding of course she's a rebounding machine offensively and defensively.  So I'm just proud of all the effort she gave today.

Media: Aaliyah, you almost came away with a triple-double, which was arguably your best day as a Hornet.  Talk about your efforts today and how that kind of just drove the team to pick up the win.

Davis: I didn't even know I was that close to a triple-double, because I just said I went out there and I played for my team. I wasn't worried about how many points I scored, how many rebounds I got, how many assist I got, how many steals. I just played hard and I just wanted to win. I wanted everyone, collectively, all of us on the same page cheering my teammates on like I didn't even know until I came on the bench and they was like you needed one more rebound. I was like I'm sorry, I'm sorry I didn't even know. But that just tells a lot because now I know what I'm capable of I know what my teammates are capable of.

Media: This win you guys exceeded last year's win total, in addition to the conference win total. What can this win do for you going forward with you now about to enter the heavy portion of your MEAC schedule?

Burgess: You know like I tell the young ladies, win then we kind of drop a couple more. So let's start the winning from this point on you know and it's just a matter of them believing that they can do and when they believe anything is possible and as you saw today we had contributions.  I think you know I saw this for with Aaliyah last year and now that she's back and comfortable with her play. I think we are going see this more consistently with her and like I said with the other young ladies just them playing together and just believing that we can do this. They can run with anybody in the MEAC and as you know the MEAC is so up and down everybody's beating everybody so that's a plus for us.  I just keep telling them day in and day out,  you gotta believe in yourselves cause the coaching staff believe in you.