2015-16 REGULAR SEASON
North Carolina Central (3-7, 1-1 MEAC, 0-0 Neutral)
Monday, Dec. 21, 2015 – 4:30 p.m. ET
Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2015 – 2:30 p.m. ET or 4:30 p.m. ET
COX Pavilion (2,454) – Las Vegas, Nevada
Audio: NCCUEaglePride.com
 
Complete Game Notes (PDF)
 
THE GAME: NCCU plays the final two rounds of the Global Sports Classic in Las Vegas, Nevada on Dec. 21-22.  The Eagles start by taking on Southern, and play the winner or loser between Eastern Illinois and Nebraska Omaha on Tuesday, Dec. 22.  Follow NCCU Athletics on Twitter for full tournament updates.
 
SCOUTING THE JAGUARS:
-Southern is a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference and went 16-16 overall last year with a 13-5 conference record to finish third.  The Jaguars advanced to the championship game in the conference tournament, but fell to Texas Southern.
-The Jaguars are currently 7-4 and opened the season with a five-game win streak after losing the season opener to Arkansas.  During that run, Southern defeated Mississippi State (76-72) and Tulane (90-82) in back-to-back games on Nov. 16 and 19.
-Southern is led by Adrian Rodgers (Atlanta, Ga.) who averages 16.5 points per game with 4.5 rebounds and is helped by Jared Sam (Baton Rouge, La.) with 10.2 points and 6.9 boards per contest.
 
SCOUTING THE PANTHERS:
-Eastern Illinois is a member of the Ohio Valley Conference and posted an 18-15 record last season with a 9-7 mark in conference play.  The Panthers finished third in the Western Conference, and were eliminated in the quarterfinnals of the conference tournament by eventual champion Belmont.
-The Panthers last visited Houston for their second game in the Global Sports Classic, and were defeated 81-65 on Dec. 19.  Cornell Johnston (St. Louis, Mo.) paced the team with 19 points, followed by Demetrius McReynolds (Louisville, Ky.) with 13 points and six rebounds.
-Eastern Illinois is guided by Trae Anderson (St. Louis, Mo.) who is averaging 14.9 points per game along with 4.9 rebounds per game.  A.J. Riley (Peoria, Ill.) is also a big contributor with 13.4 points and 4.0 rebounds per game.
 
SCOUTING THE MAVERICKS:
-Nebraska Omaha is a member of the Summit League and notched a 12-17 record while going 5-11 over the league slate.
-The Mavericks were narrowly defeated by Wyoming, 76-75 on Dec. 19 in their second round game of the Global Sports Classic.  Tre'Shawn Thurman (Omaha, Neb.) poured in 20 points, and Jake White (Chaska, Minn.) followed suit with a double-double of 17 points and 13 rebounds.
-Nebraska Omaha is pushed by Devin Patterson (Portsmouth, Va.) who is currently averaging 16.0 points per game and 2.6 assists per game.  Thurman and White also put in big numbers for the Mavericks.  White averages 15.9 points per contest with 6.5 boards per match, and Thurman averages 14.9 points and 7.8 rebounds per game.
-Similar to NCCU, Nebraska Omaha transitioned to Division I fairly recently, beginning the move in 2011.  The Mavericks are now full members of the Summit League and are able to participate in postseason play.