Box Score WASHINGTON, DC --- Playing its first game without its go-to player, one of the Howard women's basketball team's veterans helped lead the way to victory in a close conference battle.

Junior forward Cheyenne Brown poured in a career-best 23 points and added three assists and three steals to help the Lady Bison hold off the North Carolina Central Eagles 66-61 in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference action Saturday afternoon at Burr Gymnasium. 

Howard head coach Tennille Adams raved about Brown's performance, saying, "Cheyenne is one of our best shooters and this was a great night for her to step up in the way that she did and shoot the ball that well. She did a fantastic job of finding her rhythm and staying in it the entire game.'

Brown's signature night was impressive on a myriad of levels:

• She surpassed her previous high of 13 points (1/8/14 vs Cornell; 11/20/13 at Loyola MD) in the first half against NCCU (14 points);
• Her 23 points nearly eclipsed her full season total as a sophomore in 2012-13 (30 points);
• Brown scored her 23 points off the bench;
• Her .727 shooting percent is the best on the team this season of any player with 10+ attempts in a game;
• Her five three-pointers - a team high for the season - equal her full field goal total as a freshman in 2011-12;
• Her scoring output is the fourth highest of the year for HU (leader: Te'Shya Heslip - 27 vs Jackson State; 11/11/13).

Along with Brown's stellar performance, Howard (9-11, 5-2 MEAC) received strong contributions from several players in the win over NCCU (8-12, 3-4 MEAC). Freshman guard Jasmine Hill tied her season-high with 13 points; sophomore center Victoria Gonzalez added 11 points and five rebounds; freshman forward Sydni Johnson chipped in nine points and sophomore guard Tasia Majors turned her first home start into a solid outing (six points, game-high nine assists, one turnover, team-high three steals).

The total team performance came without the services of Heslip, as the redshirt freshman missed her first college game for personal reasons.

"I thought it was a great team effort today. We didn't have Te'Shya today but I take my hat off to our young ladies for really stepping up and playing team ball," said Adams in reference to her team's play and missing Heslip.

Neither team could gain separation in the first five minutes of the game, as a pair of ties left Howard and NCCU tied at 7-7 at the 14:58 mark.

At that point, Brown sparked a major charge for the Lady Bison. Starting with a Brown jumper with 13:22 remaining, Howard would go on a 21-6 run over the next 6:47 - with Brown posting an unblemished shooting half (5-of-5 from the field, 2-of-2 from three, 2-of-2 from the free throw line) - to take a 28-13 lead with 6:35 to go.

The only way Brown could be stopped was by herself, as the junior left the game with an ankle injury at the end of the run.

Central would close the half on a 11-4 run of their own but HU still held a 32-24 lead at the break.

In the second half, the Eagles would threaten the Lady Bison on three occasions, only to have Brown shake off her injury and continue her outstanding night:

• NCCU used a 14-8 run to trim Howard's lead to two points (40-38) with 14:16 to go; a Brown three pointer extended HU's lead to five (43-38) on the next possession;
• Central would score eight straight points after Brown's triple to take a 46-43 left with 10:40 remaining, only to have Brown tie the score at 46-46 with another three pointer at the 9:56 mark;
• The Eagles would again cut Howard's advantage to one score (54-52) with 4:37 on the clock, but a final Brown three-pointer ten seconds later put the Lady Bison up five and virtually sealing the game for Howard.

HU will return to action in short order as the Lady Bison will host North Carolina A&T in the first game of a home doubleheader on Monday, February 3 at 5:30 pm.