DURHAM, N.C. – The Wofford women's basketball team used a strong defensive effort to defeat N.C. Central, 64-54, on Saturday afternoon in Durham.
 
Despite struggling shooting in the first quarter, the Terriers never trailed in the game and held the Eagles to 30.8% shooting in the win. Wofford took control of the game with a 9-2 run at the beginning of the fourth quarter to stretch their lead to over 10 points and create a deficit that N.C. Central could not overcome.
 
Three Terriers tied for the team lead with 12 points each. In addition to her 12 points, Chloe Wanink added eight rebounds and four assists. Making her first start of the season at point guard, junior Amoshia Blakeney's 12 points were a season high. She also took care of the ball, delivering three assists to just one turnover. She also tallied a career high 36 minutes.
 
"Mosh did a great job of running the team," head coach Jimmy Garrity said. "She had to play a lot of minutes today. I thought she did a very good job of taking care of the ball and in the second half, she did a great job of breaking them down off the dribble and making plays."
 
Forward Grayson Pinholster recorded her second double-double of the season, scoring 12 points and grabbing a career best 14 rebounds.
 
The Terriers set the tone on defense early, holding the Eagles scoreless for almost five minutes. Neither team was able to reach 10 points in the quarter, with Wofford leading 9-7 after the first 10 minutes.  N.C. Central was held to just 18.8% from the field (3-16) in the period.
 
Wofford's offensive output increased in the second quarter, with the team shooting 53.3% from the field. Wanink and Pinholster led the Terriers in the first half, with each putting up six points and five rebounds.
 
The Terriers 26-21 halftime lead was largely due to control of the rebounding battle, as they grabbed 25 boards, compared to the Eagles 15. Wofford also outscored NCCU, 14-10, in the paint in the opening half. Both teams valued the basketball, with Wofford and N.C. Central turning the ball over just three times each.
 
After lengthening their lead to eight points after the third quarter, Wofford went on their 9-2 run in the early minutes of the fourth and created some breathing room for the stretch run.  Kentra Washington hit her first three pointer of the season to give the Terriers a game high 15 point lead with just over seven minutes to go in the game.
 
Defensively, the Terriers held NCCU to just 30.1% shooting, the lowest an opponent has shot against the team this season. Wofford also finished defensive possessions with a strong rebounding effort, as they totaled 49 rebounds to the Eagles 38.
 
"We did a really good job containing the ball," Garrity said. "They love to drive the ball, so we did a good job helping the helper. Then, when they did put up a shot, we did a great job of not just boxing out, but going to rebound."
 
The win gives the Terriers their first road victory of the season and improves them to 4-3 overall.
 
Up next, the Terriers will return home to play Coastal Carolina this Monday, December 5, at 6 p.m. in Benjamin Johnson Arena.