Game Notes:
NCCU at IUPUI (PDF):
http://www.nccueaglepride.com/documents/2013/12/5/1314_DEC_7_AT_IUPUI.pdf
NCCU Sports Network Broadcast Link:
http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/nccu.portal?mode=link&eventId=117938&broadcastType=audio
Live Video:
http://www.iupuijags.com/showcase/#liveevents
THE GAME
After North Carolina Central University's third overtime contest of the year, the maroon and gray enter the weekend riding a six-game winning streak, including three consecutive victories away from home, as the Eagles get set to battle the Jaguars of IUPUI (Indiana University Purdue University- Indianapolis) in their first-ever matchup. The host Jags are fresh off the huge 72-66 upset of Bradley University on Wednesday evening in Peoria, Ill.
THE SERIES
NCCU and IUPUI have never met on the hardwood, but the Eagles are 1-3 against current members of the The Summit League with the lone victory coming against the Leathernecks of Western Illinois University 66-58 on Jan. 26, 2011 as the maroon and gray earned its first win against a mid-major program on the road. The Eagles are 0-4 all-time in the state of Indiana.
NCCU SPORTS NETWORK
Tune in to the Denny's of Durham Pregame Show beginning at 1:45 p.m. as play-by-play voice Chris Hooks calls the action live from The Jungle as the Eagles and Jags meet for the first time in program history. Fans can interact with the broadcast by following @NCCUAthletics on Twitter, using the hashtag #NCCUMBB, and by sending an e-mail to NCCUSN@NCCU.edu.
IUPUI "JAGUARS"
IUPUI enters the weekend with a ton of momentum after taking down the Braves of Bradley University 72-66 on Wednesday evening. The Jaguar defense forced the Braves into 3-for-22 (13.6 percent) shooting from behind-the-arch and held BU's leading scorer Walt Lemon, Jr. to 4-of-18 from-the-floor to end the night with 13 points. IUPUI was a deadly 53.8 percent from deep hitting a season-high seven three-pointers which aided in giving the Jaguars a 13-point first half lead, holding on for the big win over Bradley, who hails from the highly-regarded Missouri Valley Conference. IUPUI is much better than their 2-7 record shows. By delving deeper into the schedule the Jags lost on the road to Evansville by six (84-78), Northwestern by two (63-61), Missouri by 14 (78-64), and Chattanooga by 11 (87-76), which could easily be turned into two or three more wins. In his third season at the helm, head coach Todd Howard is looking to get the program back to the top of The Summit League. Since moving to the NCAA Division I level in 1997 from the NAIA level, IUPUI has made two appearances in the postseason beginning with the school's first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2003 and a berth in the CBI (College Basketball Invitational) in 2010. Howard has compiled a 22-51 record at IUPUI and is led by the top scorer in the Summit League in Ian Chiles who is averaging 18.3 points a game. Marcellus Barksdale, a 6-5 forward, is currently second in the conference averaging 7.6 rebounds a game. The Jags boast two other student-athletes in the top-20 with 6-9 center Mitch Patton sitting tied for 14th averaging 11.9 points per game, while Khufu Najee is 17th contributing 11.7 points a contest. Sitting at eighth in the league, 6-7 forward Donovan Gibbs is shooting 55.8 percent from-the-field. As a team, IUPUI is third in the league from foul line shooting 74.5 percent that includes a 29-for-32 (90.6 percent) effort from the charity stripe in two games in the Las Vegas Invitational. The Jags are fifth in the conference averaging 69.7 points per game while surrendering 71.3 points per game, also sitting fifth in the league.
UP NEXT
NCCU turns its focus primarily to the classroom over the next 11 days as the fall semester wraps up. On Wednesday, Dec. 18, the maroon and gray will host the Eagles of Winthrop University in the final home game of the calendar year of 2013. Tipoff from McDougald-McLendon Gym is set for 7:00 p.m. Last Year, NCCU won the battle of the Eagles on Jan. 2, 2013, 64-57, which was the beginning of an 11-game winning streak for the maroon and gray en route to a 22-9 season.
EAGLES VS. THE SUMMIT LEAGUE
NCCU has taken on three of the eight members of the The Summit League, compiling a 1-3 mark since moving to the NCAA Division I Level.
11/17/07 at North Dakota State 104-51 L
02/02/10 vs. Western Illinois 53-50 L
01/26/11 at Western Illinois 66-58 W
11/16/12 vs. South Dakota* 81-69 L
*-Contest played in Laramie, Wyo.-
NCCU AGAINST THE HOOSIER STATE
Since jumping up to the elite level of collegiate athletics, the maroon and gray have faced two teams from the state of Indiana (Indiana and Ball State) racking up and 0-4 record. Here are the results.
12/19/09 at Indiana 81-58 L
12/21/09 at Ball State 59-45 L
11/23/10 at Indiana 72-56 L
02/22/12 at Indiana 75-56 L
