ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. -- Elizabeth City State women's basketball protected home court in dramatic fashion Monday evening, edging UNC Pembroke 58–56 inside the R.L. Vaughan Center. The Vikings improved to 2–3 on the season, while the Braves dropped to 1–5 (1–1 Conference Carolinas).

ECSU opened the night with great energy, pushing ahead 17–11 after the first quarter and carrying a 28–20 advantage into halftime. UNC Pembroke responded with a strong third period—shooting 60 percent from the floor—to outscore the Vikings 21–11 and briefly take control. But ECSU answered in the fourth, piecing together a 19-point final frame and coming up with critical defensive stops in the closing minutes to reclaim the lead for good.

Freshman Kailyn Young delivered a breakout performance off the bench, posting a team-high 17 points on 5-of-12 shooting while adding seven rebounds. Jada Clark followed with a strong two-way effort, finishing with 16 points, four steals, and two assists.

Tionna Pettus continued her presence on the boards, grabbing nine rebounds to go with eight points, while Danasja Horne provided a major spark with 13 points, including two timely three-pointers in the second half. ECSU's bench outscored UNCP's 31–18—one of the deciding factors in the game.

Despite shooting 32 percent from the field, the Vikings made up for it by forcing 25 UNC Pembroke turnovers and converting them into 25 points. ECSU also notched 12 fast-break points and held a slight 24–24 edge in paint scoring.

UNC Pembroke was led by Natalie Evington's 13 points—all coming from beyond the arc and the free-throw line—while Grace Ikenegbu pulled down a game-high 14 rebounds.

Up Next for ECSU
The Lady Vikings return to the R.L. Vaughan Center for a matchup against Fayetteville State at 5:30 pm on Thursday, December 4th.