THE GAME
The North Carolina Central University women's basketball team looks to settle the score with the archrival North Carolina A&T Aggies (20-4, 10-2 MEAC) as the Lady Eagles (9-16, 4-8 MEAC) make the 54 mile trek to "Aggieland" on Saturday, Feb. 22 in a 4 p.m. tipoff inside Corbett Sports Center.

THE SERIES

• Series Info: North Carolina A&T Leads 27-7 All-TIme
• Last Meeting: Jan. 22, 2014 | Durham, N.C. | 59-47 | N.C. A&T

THE FREEMAN FILE

• NCCU redshirt senior guard Jessica Freeman leads the Lady Eagles this season averaging 15.2 points per game (11^th best in the MEAC), shooting 131-for-402 from the field (.326), 57-for-182 from behind the arc (.313) and 60-for-78 from the free throw line (.769). She also leads the team steals (62) and second-best in assists (50).
• The Charlotte native is also ranked No. 35 in the nation as of Feb. 21 in steals per game, averaging 2.5.
• Freeman has scored in double-figures during 20 of the teams 26 match-ups this season with eight 20+ scoring performing, earning a season-high 26 on Dec. 19 during a 73-69 victory over Western Carolina.

 
DAVIS ON THE DOUBLE

• Junior Racquel Davis has collected 11 double-doubles this season (at Presbyterian, at South Florida, vs. Gardner-Webb and vs. Western Carolina, at Florida A&M, at Bethune-Cookman, vs. Coppin State, vs. Morgan State, at Howard, vs. Florida A&M and  at South Carolina State), averaging a team second-best 13.6 points and a team-best 8.9 rebounds(3^rd in the MEAC) per contest.
• The Brooklyn, N.Y., native's 11 double-doubles ranks her tied for 53rd in the nation as of Feb. 21.
• Davis earned a season-best 15 rebounds at Presbyterian (Nov. 14) and 27 points at Florida A&M (Jan. 11).

 
LAST TIME OUT

• SAVANNAH, Ga. – The North Carolina Central University women's basketball team suffered a 60-53 road loss as the Lady Eagles (9-16, 4-8 MEAC) gave up 33 turnovers  resulting in 28 Savannah State Lady Tiger (15-11, 8-4 MEAC) points on Monday, Feb. 17 in Savannah, Ga.
• Redshirt senior Jessica Freeman (Charlotte, N.C.) led all-scorers finishing the game with 20 points on 8-for-22 shooting from the field, 2-for-10 from behind the arc and 2-for-2 from the charity stripe while also collecting three rebounds and three assists.
• The contest remained scoreless until the 17:38 when SSU's Kenyata Hendrix broke the scoring drought putting her Lady Tigers on top 2-0.
• SSU scored five unanswered points before Freeman put NCCU on the board for the first time with 15:39 left on the first half clock.
• The Lady Tigers pulled ahead by as many as 10 points with nearly ten minutes left in the first frame before the Lady Eagles rallied on a 14-4 run, tying the contest for the first time at 21 after Freeman connected with rookie Morgan Jones (Stockbridge, Ga.) from three-point range at the four minute mark.
• With 56 seconds left in first half action Freeman's jumper in the paint gave NCCU its first lead of the game before SSU closed out the half on a 4-0 run, taking the two-point, 27-25 lead into the half.
• Freeman opened up the second frame nailing a shot from behind the arc giving the Lady Eagles their only lead of the half.
• After switching baskets for the first ten minutes of the half, a shot from the free throw line from sophomore Tisha Dixon (Kinston, N.C.) knotted the contest at 39.
• The Lady Tigers responded with a 16-3 run giving them a 13-point lead, the largest of the game, with 2:31 left in the contest.
• With four seconds left, Dixon knocked down a pair of free throws to cut the shortage to seven as SSU captured the 60-53 victory over the Lady Eagles.
• Three Lady Tigers finished in double-figures. Exinna Kalu and Jasmine Kirkland finished with 15 points apiece while Hendrix added 12.
• As a team, NCCU shot 20-for-57 from the field (35.1%), 3-for-14 from the three (21.4%) and 10-for-16 from the foul line (62.5%) while out rebounding SSU 47-31, dishing seven helpers, blocking three Lady Tigers shots and earning eight steals.

SCOUTING THE AGGIES

• North Carolina A&T enters Saturday match-up ranked No. 2 in the MEAC with only two conference losses.
• The Aggies are led by senior guard/forward Tracy King who leads the team in points per game (13.9), rebounds per contest (6.1) and steals (74). King ranks No. 2 nationally in steals per game behind FAMU's Jasmine Grice, swiping an average of 3.22 each contest.
• In addition to King, redshirt sophomore Christina Carter has contributed to NCAT's success dishing 123 total helpers (5.12 apg) and scoring a team second-best 10.5 ppg.  
• The Aggies shot 50 percent from the floor, was 7-for-13 from 3-point range (season high) and with their 73-49 win over S.C. State Monday (Feb. 17) in Spartanburg , NCAT scored more than 70 points for the third time in their last four games.

UP NEXT

• NCCU returns home for "Senior Day" on Saturday, March 1 as the Lady Eagles take on the Savannah State Tigers in McDougald-McLendon Gymnasium at 2 p.m.