NCCU Sports Network link (GameCentral)
Savannah State at NCCU Game Notes (PDF)
THE GAME
North Carolina Central University continues its three-game homestand as the maroon and gray head down the backstretch of the 2012-13 campaign. Seniors Ray Willis (Atlanta, Ga.) and Ebuka Anyaorah (Suwanee, Ga.) will be honored for "Senior Day" as the Eagles look to even the season series against the Tigers of Savannah State University, who beat NCCU 44-36 back on Feb. 16 for the only loss in league play.
THE SERIES
NCCU and SSU are meeting for the 14th time in program history with the Eagles trailing 8-5 to the Tigers in the series. In fact, Savannah State is now 7-1 against the maroon and gray since the Eagles made the move to the NCAA Division I level. NCCU is 279-264 against the MEAC all-time.
SAVANNAH STATE UNIVERSITY "TIGERS"
Savannah State University enters Saturday’s crucial conference tilt with a 17-11 overall record, 10-3 in the MEAC (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) following a disappointing 72-58 defeat at the hands of the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats on Monday night. In that contest, the Tigers were a dreadful 3-for-17 (17.6 percent) from the behind-the-arc, 18-for-49 (36.7 percent) from the field. Rashad Hassan led the Tigers with a double-double 14 points and 15 rebounds in the contest, but Preston Blackman struggled from the field shooting just 2-for-8 from three-point range. B-CU was propelled by one of the top players in the MEAC as Adrien Coleman’s double-double led with a game-high 21 points and 11 rebounds. The loss for the Tigers places SSU two games behind NCCU for second place in the league. Savannah State is led by Horace Broadnax who has been at the helm for 13 seasons and has compiled a 145-222 record, but has certainly impressed the naysayers as the Tigers took the regular season crown last season but were shocked in the opening round of the MEAC Tournament by Hampton. SSU has one of the top defenses in the nation, entering the week ranked fifth in the nation in that category allowing only 55.3 points per game. The Tigers have held 16 of their opponents under 60 points collecting an 10-6 record during that span. Savannah State entered the week No. 22 in the nation in opponent field goal percentage allowing opponents to shoot 38.6 percent from the field. The stingy Tiger "D" also shuts down its opponents from the perimeter at 28.9 percent from the outside. Hassan is the leading scorer for the Tigers averaging 13.0 points per game which places him ninth in the league, while he is currently 15th in the MEAC averaging 6.0 boards per contest. The Tigers boast one of the best rebounders in the league in Arnold Louis who rips down 7.8 boards a game along with averaging 8.4 points per contest. 6-7 forward Jyles Smith is third in the MEAC with 2.5 swats a game, 69 on the year.
UP NEXT
After Saturday’s ballgame, NCCU will host South Carolina State in the home finale for the Eagles on Monday, March 4 at 7:30 p.m., and then the maroon and gray will hit the road for the last contest of the regular season against the Pirates of Hampton University who are in the thick of the MEAC race for second place. That contest is scheduled for a Thursday, March 7 with doubleheader action slated for 6:00 p.m. from the Hampton University Convocation Center.
