NCCU vs. EKU Game Notes (PDF)
NCCU vs. EKU Live Video Broadcast ($8.95)
NCCU vs. EKU Live Audio Broadcast
THE GAME
North Carolina Central University enters its final home game in the month of December winners of two-in-a-row and looking to send the visiting Colonels of Eastern Kentucky University to its first loss of the season. EKU’s first seven contests were at home, but the Colonels are embarking on a season-long six-game road trip till Dec. 30, and are off to one of the best starts in school history currently 7-0.
THE SERIES
NCCU and Eastern Kentucky met for the first time last season with the Colonels besting the Eagles 75-62 on Dec. 6, 2011 at McBrayer Arena in Richmond, Ky. The maroon and gray are currently 3-14 against current members of the Ohio Valley Conference. Head coach LeVelle Moton is 0-2 against teams from that league.
THE NCCU SPORTS NETWORK
Tune in to the Champs Pregame Show beginning at 6:45 p.m. as play-by-play voice of the NCCU Sports Network Chris Hooks and Joe Simmons break down the second meeting between the Colonels and the Eagles. Fans will have the option to either watch the live video stream for $8.95 or listen to the broadcast online for free. Both are available on www.NCCUEaglePride.com. Follow @NCCUAthletics on twitter as the crew will keep listeners up-to-date on the latest during the game.
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 eighth season at the helm and has compiled a 125-102 record. The Colonels enter play this week a perfect 7-0 on the year and embark on a season-long six-game road swing throughout the month of Dec. EKU erased an 11-point halftime deficit over the weekend to outlast the Catamounts of Western Carolina University on Saturday, Dec. 1. The Colonels won on a Mike DiNunno layup with 2.3 seconds left to complete a comeback over the final 6:38 where EKU trailed by 10 points. The Colonels are off to the program’s best start since the 1946-47 season where the "Maroons" began the year 11-0. EKU enters the week second in the OVC (Ohio Valley Conference) in scoring averaging 78.9 points a game, second in free throw percentage at 73.6 percent, first in field goal percentage at 50.1 percent, and average a league-high 16.3 assists per game. Junior 6-0 guard Glenn Cosey is third in the OVC dropping a a team-high 17.9 points a game. Cosey has scored 20-plus points in four games this season and is sixth in the conference in three-point field goal percentage at 47.5 percent (19-for-40). Point guard of the Colonels Mike DiNunno has placed himself third in the conference dishing out 5.0 helpers a game, 16th in the OVC averaging 13.4 points per game, and currently sits 11th in the league shooting 43.6 percent from beyond-the-arc (17-for-39). Top reserve 6-0 guard Corey Walden is third on the squad contributing 9.7 points a game while starting 6-8 forward Eric Stutz is shooting 62.2 percent from the field, which is fourth in the OVC and averaging 9.1 points per game.
UP NEXT
The Eagles will have a 15-day break due to end of semester exams and will not be back in action until Dec. 19 at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. That game will be the first of a four-game road trip for NCCU as the maroon and gray will not return to McDougald-McLendon Gym until Jan. 8 with the final nonconference contest of the year against Virginia University of Lynchburg.
