DURHAM, N.C. - North Carolina Central University heads south to South Carolina State and Savannah State in its final road trip of the 2017-18 season.  With just one win, the Eagles will secure a winning MEAC record.
 
GAME NOTES
2017-18 Regular Season
North Carolina Central (14-13, 8-5 MEAC)
at
South Carolina State (9-19, 5-8 MEAC)
Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018 – 4:00 p.m.
SHM Memorial Center – Orangeburg, S.C.
Audio: NCCU Sports Network
 
North Carolina Central (14-13, 8-5 MEAC)
at
Savannah State (13-15, 10-3 MEAC)
Monday, Feb. 26, 2018 – 8:00 p.m.
Tiger Arena – Savannah, Ga.
Audio: NCCU Sports Network
Video: SSU All Access
Stats: SSUAthletics.com
 
Complete Game Notes (PDF)
 
STARTING FIVE:
1. Head coach LeVelle Moton has now won 165 games at NCCU, and has passed Gregory Jackson for the third-most wins all time at NCCU.
2. NCCU has now won over 1200 games in the 84th season of the program history.
3. With ten home wins already this season, NCCU has clinched its ninth consecutive home winning campaign.
4. Coach Moton is 94-32 all-time in regular season MEAC play.
5. With three games remaining, the league is still wide open for the Eagles, as they can finish anywhere between 1st and 10th.
 
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS:
South Carolina State is currently 5-8 in league play and is 7-4 at home.  Damani Applewhite takes the lead for the Bulldogs, and is currently averaging 12.6 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.  Applewhite put in a team-high 14 points with four boards in a 76-62 loss at Norfolk State last time out.
 
SERIES: NCCU leads, 28-20 / Streak: W1
 
SCOUTING THE TIGERS:
Savannah State is the most high-flying club in the MEAC, averaging an impressive 86.7 points per game and stand 10-3 in league play.  Against conference opponents, the Tigers have only scored less than 80 points once in a 77-85 loss to NSU.  Dexter McClanahan provides offense with 15.9 points per contest, along with 14.1 points from Alante Fenner.
 
SERIES: NCCU leads, 12-9 / Streak: L1
 
FREE BASKETBALL
NCCU played an overtime game for the first time since the 2015-16 season when the Eagles fell 84-78 at Howard.  Under Moton, the Eagles are 7-4 in games that go to an extra frame, and 3-3 against MEAC opponents in overtime.
 
NEXT MAN UP
NCCU is one of less than 10 schools that returns zero starters from its previous season.  The Eagles bring back the second-fewest starts in the nation with 11, all coming from C.J. Wiggins, and the third-fewest total minutes with 862, 626 of which came from Pablo Rivas.
 
CRASHING THE BOARDS
NCCU pulled down the most rebounds in the Division-I era against Warren Wilson when the Eagles swept up 66 rebounds.  The Eagles topped the mark of 57 set against Barber-Scotia on Dec. 17, 2014.  This season, the Eagles also pulled down 58 boards against Christendom on Dec. 30.
 
COMING UP ACES
NCCU currently leads the MEAC in four categories after a strong showing during the non-conference schedule.  The Eagles are tops in the league in points allowed per game (69.6), field goal percentage (47.4), rebounding margin (+5.4), and rebounds allowed per game (32.5).
 
ROOKIE RANKING
Freshmen Reggie Gardner, Jr. and Jordan Perkins have found their way into the starting lineup, and are the first freshmen to start for the Eagles since C.J. Wiggins during the 2015-16 season.  Gardner and Perkins are both statistically ranked within the MEAC, as well.  Gardner is top-25 in scoring with an average of 11.5 points per game and is a volume shooter from the perimeter, ranking sixth in threes per game with 2.4.  Perkins has taken on his role as a point guard and is third in the league in assists with 5.3 per outing and is fourth in assist-to-turnover ratio with a positive 1.9.
 
100%
Larry McKnight, Jr. was highly efficient from the floor at Marshall as he was 7-for-7 from the field, 3-3 from the arc and 2-2 from the free throw line for 19 points.  Dominique Reid reached the same mark as well against Howard, going 7-for-7 from the floor and 2-for-2 from the charity stripe for 16 points. Last season, senior forward Pablo Rivas matched a rare feat of former Eagle Dominique Sutton against Western Carolina on Nov. 16, as he went 7-for-7 from the floor and 2-for-2 from the free throw line for 18 points and nine rebounds.  McKnight, Reid, and Rivas are in rare company now, joining Emmanuel Chapman as the only other Eagles to shoot 100 percent from the floor with a spotless three-point percentage as well.  Rivas shot 100 percent from the floor a second time at Missouri, but missed one free throw for 16 points and six rebounds (6-6 FG, 4-5 FT).