NCCU at EKU Game Notes (PDF)
THE GAME
North Carolina Central University hits the road for the next six ballgames, but begins this month-long road swing on a high note after taking down arch-rival North Carolina A&T 65-46 over the weekend to place itself at 1-0 in the MEAC (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference). The Eagles also are riding a four-game winning streak heading into the week.
THE SERIES
NCCU has never met Eastern Kentucky on the hardwood but has taken on current OVC (Ohio Valley Conference) members 16 previous times recording a 4-12 mark. The Eagles actually recorded their first Division I win over an OVC school when they beat Tennessee Tech on Nov. 21, 2007 (73-70) in McDougald-McLendon Gym. In LeVelle Moton’s first season, NCCU lost to Murray State 84-61 on Nov. 22, 2009.
NCCU SPORTS NETWORK
Eagle Gameday built by Dayeco Construction Co. begins at 7:45 p.m. (EST) on Tuesday evening and can be heard only online at www.NCCUEaglePride.com. Play-by-play voice of the NCCU Sports Network, Chris Hooks, will call the action from Paul McBrayer Arena in Richmond, Ky. Fans can also follow the contest on Twitter by following @NCCUAthletics and @NCCUradio and using the hashtag #NCCUEKU.
EASTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY "COLONELS"
Eastern Kentucky University boasts six OVC (Ohio Valley Conference) regular season championships, five tournament titles, and seven NCAA Tournament appearances in the program’s history. The Colonels are headed by Jeff Neubauer who is in his seventh season at the helm and has compiled a 106-91 record. His team has led the OVC in three-pointers made per game for three consecutive seasons, and already have hit 75 this season after just nine games averaging 8.3 three-pointers per game. The Colonels are fifth in the conference in three-point percentage at 33.6 percent, but have 15 more shots from the outside than Murray State, who leads the league shooting 41.4 percent and have 60 three-pointers made. EKU has four players with 10 or more three-pointers led by 6-3 senior Joshua Jones who is shooting 15-37 (40.5 percent) from the outside, dropping in an average of 10.3 points a game. 6-5 guard Jaron Jones is tied atop the roster in scoring with teammate Mike DeNunno averaging 10.4 points per contest. The Colonels spent the season’s first month on the road making their home debut over the weekend beating Brescia 107-43 on Saturday, Dec. 3 with five players recording double-figures led by 6-8 forward Eric Stutz who scored a game-high 22 points in the win. The Colonels shot 64.0 percent from three-point land going 16-for-25, hitting eight threes in each half. EKU enters the contest at 4-5 on the season with losses to Mississippi State (76-66), Presbyterian (78-50), Lehigh (76-51), Norfolk State (70-63), and Delaware State (57-43).
UP NEXT
NCCU makes perhaps its shortest road trip of the season as the Eagles take on the Wolfpack of North Carolina State University on Sunday, Dec. 11 at 3:00 p.m. from historic Reynolds Coliseum 23.1 miles from the Durham campus. This contest is set to be broadcast live on Fox Sports Carolinas (Check your local listings for the specific channel). The Eagles are 0-3 all-time against N.C. State and 0-12 against the ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference). Nine days later the Eagles will head out west to Eugene, Ore. to take part in the 2011 Global Sports Hoops Showcase hosted by the University of Oregon from Dec. 20-22. NCCU will take on tournament host Oregon on Dec. 20 at 10:00 p.m. (EST). The Eagles will then take on Stephen F. Austin on Dec. 21 (TBA), and Prairie View A&M on Dec. 22 (TBA) to end the three-day round-robin format.
