NCCU GETS SEMIFINAL WIN ON ROBINSON'S BIRTHDAY
March 2, 2007
CHARLOTTE - North Carolina Central gave its head coach, Joli Robinson, a nice birthday gift on Friday - a CIAA semifinal victory over Bowie State.
Robinson celebrated her birthday by watching her Lady Eagles take a 76-65 win at Charlotte Bobcats Arena to reach the CIAA championship game for the first time since 2001. The top-seeded Lady Eagles led from start to finish in improving their record to 24-5 overall.
With victory well in hand, the fans sang "Happy Birthday" to an elated Robinson in the closing minutes. After the game, the cheerleaders also serenaded Robinson with a birthday song before she walked happily off the court.
"I was shocked," Robinson said. "I didn't expect that. It made me feel good."
The play of her team also put the NCCU coach in a good mood. They jumped on the Lady Bulldogs from the beginning and held a double-digit lead for much of the first half. Though the Lady Bulldogs stayed within stiking distance at times in the second half, the Lady Eagles were too talented and too deep.
"I anticipated that the Lady Bulldogs would battle hard," Robinson said. "But we did what we needed to do at the beginning [of the game]."
As usual the Lady Eagles were led by their contingent of talented players. Cassie King scored a game-high 25 points and LaQuanda Williams added 14 points. Jasmine Newkirk chipped in 12 points and LaVonna Hailey and Jori Nwachukwu both contributed 9 points each.
The Lady Eagles wanted to gain a semifinal victory badly for Robinson on her birthday.
"We wanted to win anyway but just knowing it was her birthday made it special," King said. "Special things happen to special people."
Bowie State Head Coach Doug Robertson was one of the few people in the arena who wanted to spoil Robinson's birthday, but he has the utmost respect for her.
Robertson also has respect for his fifth-seeded Lady Bulldogs, who dressed nine players. Standout forward Allyson Swailes sat much of the second half as Robertson went with a smaller lineup, yet the Lady Eagles couldn't put them away. After trailing by double digits most of the game, the Lady Bulldogs pulled within seven points at 61-54 with 4:09 left but that was as close as they would get.
"Our players were fatigue a little but a game such as this, with media timeouts, helped us," Robertson said.
Sherika Thomas scored 21 points and Markeya Watson added 20 points and 9 rebounds for the Lady Bulldogs, who finished their season at 18-11. Genet Moore added 14 points, including 4 of 7 3-pointers, for the Lady Bulldogs, who shot 50 percent from the floor.
But the Lady Bulldogs allowed the Lady Eagles to shoot 50 percent.
"When we decided to go small, we thought we could force them into a jumpshooting game, but they penetrated to the basket," Robertson said.
The penetration helped the Lady Eagles get to the free throw line 28 times where they made 21. The Lady Bulldogs were 8 of 15 from the free-throw line. The Lady Bulldogs also committed 24 turnovers which the Lady Eagles converted to 22 points.
In the end, the Lady Eagles had too much talent, depth and motivation.
"We wanted to win for Coach Robinson," King said.