Complete Game Notes (PDF)
THE GAME
North Carolina Central University has a quick turnaround following its tough 74-71 loss at Norfolk State over the weekend as the Eagles are heading into the third leg of four consecutive road games. NCCU takes on its biggest rival, North Carolina A&T for the first time since the 2002-03 season. The Eagles are in the midst of a stretch of five games in nine days.
THE SERIES
NCCU and NC A&T are meeting for the 136th time in program history with the Eagles trailing with a 62-73 record overall against the Aggies. Since the the 1990-91 season, NCCU is 7-6 against their chief-rival, including three straight wins from 1996-98. The last meeting took place during the 2002-03 season when NCCU beat A&T 74-72 at the buzzer in the Legacy Classic in the Queen City of Charlotte, N.C.
NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY “AGGIES”
The Aggies of North Carolina A&T State University enter Monday night’s showdown with a 4-2 record in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, just a game behind four other teams, Bethune-Cookman (5-1), Hampton (4-1), Morgan State (4-1), and Delaware State (4-1). B-CU and Hampton handed the Aggies their conference losses, as NC A&T is coming off an 84-74 win over South Carolina State this weekend. Much like Norfolk State, the Aggies boast one of the top big men in the league as Thomas Coleman is fifth in the league in scoring averaging 15.6 points a game, but sits alone at the top of the conference grabbing a league-leading 10.9 boards a game. Coleman also is second in the MEAC in field goal percentage (60.1%), second in blocked shots with 3.1 rejections a game. Shooting guard Nic Simpson is right behind Coleman dropping in 15.1 points per contest. Starting point guard Marc Hill is sixth in the conference in assists dishing out 3.3 helpers per contest. The Aggies are led by eighth-year head coach Jerry Eaves who is currently 81-153 during his tenure in the Gate City and one way to describe his style of play is the Aggies aren’t afraid to heave up the three-pointers. In the previous eight seasons, NC A&T as a team has broken the school record for made three-pointers on three different occasions. The Aggies have made a league-high 133 shots from the outside after 19 games. NC A&T boasts the highest scoring offense in the league at 72.2 points per game.
UP NEXT
NCCU plays its final road game in the month of January as the Eagles head to the midwest to take on the Fighting Leathernecks of Western Illinois University in Macomb, Ill on Wednesday, Jan. 26. The Eagles dropped a 53-50 decision to the WIU last season in the first meeting between these two on Feb. 2, 2010. Western Illinois is the one and only team from the Summit League that NCCU will face this season. The second meeting between the Eagles and the Fighting Leatherneck is set for 8:00 p.m. from Western Hall. Following that contest the Eagles head back home for a two-game weekend homestand against Florida A&M (Jan. 29) and Bethune-Cookman (Jan. 31) to end the month of January.
