DURHAM, N.C. – Delicia Pierre had 21 kills, 15 digs and six service aces, but Bethune-Cookman dropped a 3-2 (21-25,17-25,25-23,25-23,19-17) Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Southern Division decision to North Carolina Central  Friday night.

Destiny Hudson and Rhea Simon each had 14 kills for the Lady Cats (6-23 overall,5-3 MEAC) while Alexas Thomas posted 45 assists and 12 digs while Jennifer Jimenez and Jill Arlaud had 19 and 10 digs, respectively..

North Carolina Central (3-22,3-4) led by as many as three points in the fifth set before B-CU tied it at 15-15 on a Pierre kill. The Lady Cats had match point at 16-15 and 17-16 but couldn't captalize.

In the first set, B-CU scored the final four points, getting two kills from Pierre and one from Simon, to pull away from a 21-21 tie.

B-CU jumped out to an early 7-2 lead in the second set and had its largest lead at 22-8.

The six aces were a career-high for Pierre, who is currently eighth in the nation in that category. Other career highs were Simon's kills and Arlaud's digs.

The Lady Cats face North Carolina A&T Sunday.

NOTES: B-CU now 0-2 in 5-set matches this season ... Jimenez matched a season-high for digs ... Phylecia Armstrong registered seven kills and five blocks ... This was the fifth double-double for both Pierre and Thomas this season ... Pierre now has four career 20-kill matches.