ELIZABETH CITY, NC- The Vikings Battle it out until the last second in a tough 79-78 loss to the Rocks of Slippery Rock University on Saturday, November 8^th in the R.L. Vaughan Center.
 
The Vikings fall to a 0-2 record to start the 2019-20 season, with both losses coming against non-conference PSAC opponents.
 
"Good game against another PSAC opponent," shared Head Coach Antonio Davis. "Similar to our first contest we were in a close game going down the stretch. We gave ourselves an opportunity but didn't execute on both ends of the floor. We will get ready for another tough opponent as we travel to Barton College next Saturday."
 
If the score doesn't paint the picture of how both teams battled it out until the buzzer, then the noise levels and Viking fans in the R.L. Vaughan Center on Saturday night definitely should have.
 
Sophomore guard Asia Deal (Norfolk, VA) led the charge for the Vikings with 20 points, five assist, and five rebounds. Senior forward Devona Stell recorded her second double-double of the season with 18 points and 10 rebounds to fuel the Vikings on both ends of the floor. Freshman guard NyAsia Blango added 12 points for the Vikings in her second start of her collegiate career.
 
The Rocks were led by Daeja Quick with 19 points. Defensively Anyah Curd provided the Rocks with nine rebounds. 
 
ECSU shot 41.5 percent from the field, 23.5 percent from behind the arc, and 71.7% at the line. 
 
Slippery Rock shot 43.9% from the field, 35% from behind the arc, and 67.9% at the line.
 
Both teams came out strong defensively, a layup by Stell put the Vikings on the scoreboard first. Four minutes passed before the next scoring play was executed by Karrington Ketterer for the Rocks 2-all. 
 
The Vikings ended the first quarter on a 9-1 run leading the Rock's 11-3.
 
The game endured seven lead changes. The Vikings held the largest lead of the game at the 6:52 mark in the second quarter with a basket from Deal. 
However, the Rock's outscored the Vikings 25-14 in the second quarter to take a 28-25 lead into halftime.
 
The second half of action was intense from start to finish, the Vikings scored 24 points in the third quarter to the Rocks 23 points and in the fourth quarter the Vikings scored 26 points to SRU's 25 points. 
 
ECSU'S second quarter struggles ailed the Vikings down the stretch, but they fought hard and made a valiant effort to not go down without a fight. 
 
Four of the game's ties came in the fourth quarter. Blango showed everyone that as a freshman she is ready to step up and make plays, she scored 9-of-10 ECSU points down the stretch with a pair of three pointers and a trip to the line to complete a three-point play to give the Vikings a 72-70 lead. 
 
Slippery Rock answered back with a three-pointer from Harris with 1:26 remaining in the game. 
 
The remainder of the game was ultimately decided at the line where the Rock's Anyah Curd hit 3-of-4 leading them to a 76-75 win
 
The Vikings will be back in action on November 16, on the road in Wilson, NC to take on Barton College at 2 p.m.