DURHAM, N.C. - North Carolina Central University finishes up a lengthy four-game road trip at Coastal Carolina on Dec. 16 and Saint Louis on Dec. 19 before a brief respite for the holiday.  The Eagles will return to McDougald-McLendon Arena on Sunday, Dec. 30 against Wilberforce.
 
GAME NOTES
2018-19 Regular Season
North Carolina Central (4-7, 0-0 MEAC)
at
Coastal Carolina (5-5, 0-0 Sun Belt)
Sunday, Dec. 16, 2018 – 2:00 p.m.
HTC Center – Conway, South Carolina
Video/Audio/Stats: GoCCUSports.com
 
North Carolina Central (4-7, 0-0 MEAC)
at
Saint Louis (7-2, 0-0 A-10)
Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018 – 7:00 p.m. CT
Chaifetz Arena – St. Louis, Missouri
Video: ESPN+
Stats: SLUBillikens.com
 
Complete Game Notes (PDF)
 
STARTING FIVE:
1. NCCU is 2-0 in the state of Missouri in the Division-I era with wins over Mizzou and Southeast Missouri State.
2. Moton coached his 300th game on Dec. 8, and has coached the third-most games all-time at NCCU.
3. NCCU is 26-4 at home since the 2016-17 season.
4. NCCU has shot over 50 percent from the floor four times this season.
5. NCCU went 6-8 in non-conference play in the 2017-18 season.
 
SCOUTING THE CHANTICLEERS
Coastal Carolina is running evenly in the 2018-19 season, and is 5-5 entering the contest with the Eagles.  This will just be the Chanticleers' fourth home game of the season, but they are 3-0 at the HTC Center.  CCU is led by senior forward Zac Cuthbertson who is averaging 19.9 points and 9.3 rebounds per game.  CCU were last on the road at Wofford where it fell, 82-71.  Trevion Brown had a joint game-high 24 points, and Cuthbertson put in 14.
 
LAST FIVE VS COASTAL CAROLINA:
2/15/10..................... vs. Coastal Carolina       57-68 L
2/17/11..................... at Coastal Carolina        59-94 L
12/10/16................... at Coastal Carolina        67-70 L
 
SCOUTING THE BILLIKENS
Saint Louis is off to a hot start, and hold a 7-2 record before facing Houston on Sunday, Dec. 16 prior to its matchup with NCCU.  The Billikens are 6-0 at Chaifetz Arena, and have been paced by the trio of Javon Bess, Tramaine Isabell Jr., and Jordan Goodwin who all average double-figures.  Bess is averaging 14.4 points and 7.7 rebounds, Isabell currently has 12.2 points and 4.0 boards, and Goodwin has 10.2 points and 5.7 rebounds per game on his ledger.
 
LAST FIVE VS SAINT LOUIS:
First Meeting
 
LONG ROAD AHEAD
NCCU will play just four games at home at McDougald-McLendon Arena before January, the fewest since the 2014-15 season where the Eagles also hosted four bouts.
 
THREE IN FIVE
NCCU made its third NCAA Tournament appearance within the last five years, and the Eagles are still on the hunt for their first win.  NCCU's first trip was as a No. 14 seed against Iowa State, and the Eagles were defeated 93-75 during the 2014 tournament.  In 2017, the Eagles also went to Dayton for the First Four and were felled by UC Davis, 67-63.  During the 2018 tournament, the Eagles were bested by Texas Southern, 46-64.
 
50-50
NCCU shot over 50 percent in back-to-back games for the first time since 2017 when the Eagles shot 62.9 percent against Warren Wilson and 51.1 percent at George Mason for a two-game percentage of 57.0 with 67 made field goals.  The Eagles did it again on Nov. 24 and 28 against Southern (53.1%) and Christendom (58.3%) for a combined 55.7 percent. Here's a look at the Eagles' best two-game shooting performances in the Division I era.
 
60.7%  vs. JWU, at MDES  (Dec. 2-5, 2014, 74 FG)
59.4%  vs. BSC, at MVSU (Dec. 20-22, 2014, 74 FG)
58.6% vs. VUL, at FAMU (Jan. 8-12, 2013, 71 FG)
57.5% vs. MSU, vs. BCU (Feb. 21-28, 2015, 58 FG)
57.1% at NSU, vs. HOW (March 6-12, 2014, 57 FG)
57.0% vs. WWC, at GMU (Nov. 18-20, 2018, 67 FG)
55.7% vs. SU, vs. CC (Nov. 24-28, 2018, 68 FG)
 
LEAVING A MARK
Head coach LeVelle Moton is in his 10th year at the helm of the Eagle men's basketball program and reached the 300-game plateau in his career on Dec. 8, 2018 at App State.  He's third all-time on the list, and just the third coach to reach 300 games.  Here's a look at coaches with the most games coached at NCCU.
 
Most Games................................... G                  Years
1. Floyd Brown............................ 445              1952-70
2. John McLendon......................... 307              1940-52
3. LeVelle Moton....................... 301                     2009-
4. Gregory Jackson....................... 242              1991-00
5. Michael Bernard....................... 171              1985-91