GAME NOTES #16: Coppin State at NCCU
GAME NOTES #17: Morgan State at NCCU (posted online Sunday morning)

DURHAM, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University women's basketball team will try and move over .500 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) when the Eagles host a couple of matinees against Coppin State University on Saturday and Morgan State University on Monday. Both contests are scheduled to tip-off at 2 p.m.
 
NCCU will be providing FREE live video, audio and stats for those that cannot attend the contest inside McDougald-McLendon Arena. Mike Wood will be on the air providing the play-by-play on the NCCU Sports Network. Fans can follow NCCU women's basketball all season by visiting NCCUEaglePride.com and on social media at Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
 
Game Info
 
Saturday, Jan. 13, 2 PM – Coppin State at NCCU
McDougald-McLendon Arena, Durham, N.C.
WATCH | LISTEN | STATS
 
Monday, Jan. 15, 2 PM – Morgan State at NCCU
McDougald-McLendon Arena, Durham, N.C.
WATCH | LISTEN | STATS
 
N.C. Central Women's Basketball
 
The Eagles were handed their first conference loss in a 75-60 home setback to the league's hottest team in Norfolk State University on Monday. NCCU (3-12 Overall, 1-1 MEAC) is 2-3 at home.
 
Freshman guard Kieche White is the reigning MEAC Rookie of the Week and sophomore forward Paulina Afriyie was tabbed MEAC Co-Defensive Player of the Week. White scored a career-high 20 points in NCCU's league-opening win at Delaware State and then she led the Eagles with 12 points against the Spartans. White is averaging 6.9 points per game, including 4.0 made 3-pointers per game in conference play. Afriyie ranks amongst the league's statistical leaders with 7.3 rebounds per game, 1.1 blocks per game and a field-goal percentage of 46.5%. Afriyie, who has four double-doubles on the season, is second on the team in scoring (8.3 ppg) has pulled down double-digit rebounds in five of the last six games.
 
Junior guard Rodneysha Martin continues to lead the maroon and gray with 12.7 points and 2.3 assists per game. She also ranks as the league's third best free-throw shooter at 82.1%.
 
A pair of junior transfers in Sami Oliver-Alexander and Caira Benton supplement NCCU's scoring with averages of 7.0 and 5.4 points per game, respectively, while classmate Jayla Calhoun is contributing 5.9 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.
 
NCCU knocked off Coppin State, 58-46, last season with junior Dominique Adams scoring a career-high 17 points in that triumph. Two days earlier, NCCU dropped a narrow 44-42 tilt to Morgan State in its first of two games in Baltimore last season. Junior Deja McCain led the Eagles with 13 points and six rebounds.
 
Coppin State Women's Basketball
 
After losing their MEAC opener at Norfolk State (71-57), the Eagles have won their last two league contests at home to Savannah State University (66-57) and Florida A&M University (62-56). Coppin State (3-12 Overall, 2-1 MEAC) is still searching for its first road win (0-11).
 
The CSU Eagles are led by a pair of preseason All-MEAC selections in senior guard Genesis Lucas and sophomore center Chance Graham. Lucas is the reigning MEAC Player of the Week and leads the conference with 19.0 points per game, 4.3 assists per game and an 84% free throw percentage. She also ranks third in the league with 2.6 steals per game and 2.1 made 3-pointers per game. Graham shared MEAC Co-Defensive Player of the Week laurels with Afriyie and she is the league's top rebounder at 9.3 rebounds per game. Graham also contributes 11.2 points per game.
 
Freshman guard Maraiyah Smith (8.3 ppg) and senior forward Candice Beverly (7.6 ppg) add scoring depth for Coppin State.
 
Lucas led the CSU Eagles with 12 points in last year's 12-point loss to NCCU while Graham grabbed a game-high nine rebounds.
 
Morgan State Women's Basketball
 
The Bears have won four straight games, including their first three MEAC clashes against University of Maryland Eastern Shore (63-50), Florida A&M University (61-56) and Savannah State University (73-67). Morgan State (10-6 Overall, 3-0 MEAC) is a perfect 8-0 at home, but just 2-6 on the road. MSU will play at North Carolina A&T State University on Saturday before arriving in Durham.
 
The senior trio of forward Lexus Spears, guard Breannan Farrar and forward Tykyrah Williams are playing their fourth year together to give the Bears a ton of veteran experience. They have started all 16 games and are each averaging over 10 points and four rebounds per game.
 
Spears, who is coming off an injury-plagued junior season, tops MSU in both categories with 13.9 points and 7.1 rebounds per game and is the conference's top shooter with a field-goal percentage of 54%. Farrar (12.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg) leads the league with 2.9 steals per game and ranks fourth with 3.9 assists per game. Williams chips in 10.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.
 
Morgan State is one of four MEAC women's basketball programs that currently has a positive rebounding margin on the season and its aided by six rebounds per game from junior Adre'onia Coleman, who also scores 9.3 points per game.
 
Farrar and Williams scored eight and seven points, respectively, in the Bears two-point win over NCCU last February.