GAME NOTES #5: Johnson & Wales at N.C. Central

DURHAM, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University women's basketball team returns home to play its fourth game in eight days when the Lady Eagles entertain Johnson & Wales University in non-conference play for a second straight season on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.
 
The showdown inside McDougald-McLendon Arena will be FREE admission.
 
NCCU will be providing FREE live video, audio and stats for the contest. Mike Wood will be on the air providing the play-by-play. Fans can follow NCCU women's basketball all season by visiting NCCUEaglePride.com and on social media at Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
 
Game Info

Tuesday, Nov. 28, 5:30 PM – Johnson & Wales at N.C. Central
McDougald-McLendon Arena, Durham, N.C.
WATCH | LISTEN | STATS
 
N.C. Central Women's Basketball
 
The Eagles just returned from Fort Collins, Colorado, with an 85-48 loss to Colorado State University on Saturday. NCCU (1-3 Overall) was outrebounded by double digits and was held under 30-percent shooting for a second straight game against a pair of opponents that participated in the NCAA Tournament last year (CSU and #18 Oregon State).
 
Junior guard Rodneysha Martin swished a season-high five 3-pointers on her way to a game-high 18 points against the Rams. Martin has scored in double digits in all four games and paces the Eagles with 16.8 points per game. The Olive Branch, Mississippi, product also leads NCCU with 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game.
 
Fellow junior guard Jayla Calhoun provides 12.3 points per game. Calhoun and Martin, who are both firing at over 85% accuracy from the free throw line, have accounted for 49.3% of NCCU's points this season as other 11 active players are all averaging less than five points per game.
 
Freshman Alyssa Thompson and sophomore Paulina Afriyie are each providing four rebounds per game.
 
NCCU will be playing Johnson & Wales for a third consecutive season. The Eagles knocked off the Wildcats 68-58 in Charlotte two seasons ago and 75-38 in Durham last year. Junior forward Deja McCain and junior guard Dominique Adams have had a couple big performances in those victories. McCain is averaging 11 points and nine rebounds in two outings against JWU while Adams has scored 10 points both times while averaging 8.5 rebounds.
 
Johnson & Wales Women's Basketball
 
The Wildcats, who are representing the JWU Charlotte Campus, have won three consecutive games and are averaging over 80 points per game. Johnson & Wales (6-1 Overall) is a member of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) and have other athletic programs on their other campus locations in Miami, Florida, Denver, Colorado, and Providence, Rhode Island. JWU has played USCAA, NAIA, NCCAA and NCAA Division III opponents this season before playing its first NCAA DI foe in NCCU on Tuesday.
 
A trio of Wildcats are averaging over 10 points per game in sophomore Ineesha Hankerson (12.6 ppg), senior Jaquana Pauling (12.0) and freshman guard Chase Muhammad (10.3).
 
Hankerson and Pauling also lead JWU with 9.1 and 5.9 rebounds per game. That forward duo is shooting a combined 62% from the field on the season. Junior guard Bianca Covington adds 9.6 points and a team-best 2.0 steals per game for a squad averaging over 12 steals per contest.
 
Pauling grabbed eight rebounds against NCCU last season, but both her and Hankerson were held to just two points apiece in that loss. Senior guard Vanderia Shackelford, who adds scoring depth for the Wildcats with 8.1 points per game, bucketed 19 points in a loss to the Eagles two seasons ago.