THE GAME
The first place Eagles of North Carolina Central University venture into Tiger Arena in Savannah, Ga. for a crucial Monday evening MEAC matchup against the Tigers of Savannah State looking to add to its current 11-game winning streak and stay two games ahead of the pack in the MEAC standings.

THE SERIES
-The first meeting between NCCU and Savannah State took place on Dec. 11, 1954.  SSU is 7-2 since 2009 when the series renewed including a 4-0 mark at home over the Eagles.  The maroon and gray trail in the series 8-6 to the Tigers.

3/2/13- vs. Savannah State- 51-47 W
2/16/13- at Savannah State- 36-44 L
2/25/12- at Savannah State- 47-60 L
2/11/12- vs. Savannah State- 57-67 L
3/12/11- vs. Savannah State&- 64-50 L
2/6/10- vs. Savannah State- 65-60 W
1/20/10- at Savannah State (OT)- 44-46 L
3/2/09- at Savannah State- 64-69 L
1/31/09- vs. Savannah State- 51-77 L
&-MEAC Bonus Game (Winston-Salem, N.C.)

NCCU SPORTS NETWORK
The NCCU Sports Network will have wall-to-wall coverage of Monday night's twinbill between NCCU and Savannah State beginning with the Denny's of Durham Pregame Show at 5:45 p.m. as play-by-play voice Chris Hooks will call the action from Tiger Arena.  The men's contest will also be on 99.9 HD3-The Ticket, while both broadcasts can be heard on NCCUEaglePride.com and on the NCCU Sports Network App.  Fans can interact with the broadcast by following @NCCUAthletics on twitter and by using the hashtag #NCCUMBB or by sending an e-mail to whooks@nccu.edu or nccusn@nccu.edu.

SCOUTING REPORT:  SAVANNAH STATE
-The Tigers enter Monday's night crucial showdown with a 9-16 record, but 7-4 in the MEAC following Saturday's 73-48 blowout win over NC A&T inside Tiger Arena in Savannah, Ga.  The stingy Savannah State defense held the Aggies to 30.0 percent shooting from-the-field, including a dismal 4-for-14 (28.6 percent) effort from beyond-the-arc.    Senior guard Deven Williams led all scorers with 24 points, while his teammates Joshua Montgomery (15 points 10 rebounds) and Jyles Smith (11 points 10 rebounds) recorded double-doubles in the victory.  SSU held the A&T to single digit field goals in each half, as Lamont Middleton (16 points) and Richaud Pack (15 points) were the lone Aggies to record double figures.  The victory for the Tigers ended a two-game losing streak.

-SSU is led by head coach Horace Broadnax who is in his eighth season as he has taken the Tiger program to the top of the MEAC heap in a short period of time.  Savannah State took the 2011-12 regular season crown in the league, earning a trip to the NIT (National Invitational Tournament).  During his tenure in Savannah, Broadnax has compiled a record  of 114-144, while racking up a  record of 150-241 in 12 seasons as a head coach.

-Individually, Savannah State has no players that average in double figures, but that's the beauty of Broadnax's system- versatility.  Williams averages 9.6 points a game, but six other Tigers average five points or more.  Smith is the league's top rebounder ripping down 8.0 boards a game, while his postmate, Montgomery, is 20th averaging 5.1 rebounds a contest.  Smith and Montgomery also reside in the conferences's top 15 in field goal percent as Smith is seventh shooting 52.3 percent from the field, while Montgomery is 15th at 44.4 percent.  Junior point guard Terel Hall comes off the bench to average 2.6 assists a game, tied for 11th, while he's tied for ninth in steals at 1.4 per game.  Williams sits 15th in the league shooting 34.3 percent from deep, while Smith is third in the MEAC in blocked shots at 3.1 per game.

-As a team, Savannah State is 12th in the league in scoring offense (61.0 points per game) but their vaunted defense is third in the conference allowing 65.2 points per contest.  SSU is also third in the MEAC in field goal percentage defense forcing opponents to shoot 42.0 percent from-the-field.  The Tigers are third in the conference in blocked shots at 5.0 swats a game and third in steals averaging 7.5 thefts per contest.

NCCU VS. MEAC    
Throughout NCCU's illustrious basketball history, the Eagles have taken on every team in the conference that it helped start back in 1970.  NCCU is 294-264 against MEAC opponents all-time.

Bethune-Cookman- 6-4
Coppin State- 6-3
Delaware State- 18-13
Florida A&M- 9-2
Hampton- 45-31
Howard- 38-26
Md. Eastern Shore- 19-16
Morgan State- 46-40
Norfolk State- 8-27
North Carolina A&T- 68-75
Savannah State- 6-8
SC State- 25-19