DURHAM, N.C. — The North Carolina Central University women's basketball continues a four-game road swing within its home state to begin the season and move back over .500 with a non-conference contest at High Point University on Monday.
GAME INFO:
DATE: Monday, Dec. 7, 6 PM
LOCATION: Millis Center, High Point, N.C.
TICKETS: NO fans allowed
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GAME NOTES:
NC Central;
High Point
NC CENTRAL SNIPPETS:
The Eagles (1-1) scored their most points against a top-25 team since joining the NCAA Division I ranks in 2011-12 in a 108-70 road loss to sixth-ranked North Carolina State University. That "last-minute" game was added to the schedule just one day before Sunday's tipoff. Senior guard
Necole Hope scored a team-high 17 points; sophomore forward
Anissa Rivera poured in double-digit points for a second straight game with 16 points; freshman guard
Paris McBride had a breakout game with 16 points, four steals, three assists and three rebounds; and junior guard
Cherelle Washington swished 11 points as NCCU's starters accounted for 62 of its 70 points.
Rivera is averaging 16.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.5 blocks and 1.0 steals per game through the first week of the season on her way to earning Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Defensive Player of the Week on Tuesday. She is a Preseason All-MEAC First Team selection.
Senior
Kieche White leads NCCU in scoring after bucketing 21 points in a double overtime win at Campbell University, but she did not play against the Wolfpack due to injury.
Four Eagles are averaging over 10 points per game in White (21.0), Rivera (16.0), Hope (12.0) and McBride (11.0) while Washington (9.0) follows closely behind.
On the trivial side, NCCU has scored 70 points in each of its first two games. That is four points per game more than its scoring average last season.
HIGH POINT SNIPPETS:
The Panthers have started the season 0-2 with a road loss at University of North Carolina (95-70) and home loss to Wofford College (53-50). High Point posted a 16-13 record last season, including a 14-6 mark in Big South Conference play. The Panthers are picked to finish third out of 11 teams in the Big South Preseason Poll.
HPU lost the reigning BSC Player of the Year due to graduation, but the Panthers still have junior guard Skyler Curran, who is the leagues Preseason Player of the Year. She is living up to the hype through the first week of the season by scoring 28 points against the Tar Heels and recording a double-double versus the Terriers. Curran is averaging 20.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game.
SERIES:
High Point has won all five meetings, including a 78-58 triumph in Durham last season. The Eagles and Panthers are clashing for a third consecutive season.
Curran scored her still career-high 31 points against NCCU last season, making six 3-pointers along the way in helping HPU to the 20-point conquest. High Point – the top scoring team in the BSC last season, including a league best 10.5 made 3-pointers per game – made a dozen treys against NCCU. Rivera and White both scored in double digits for the Eagles in that contest with 14 and 11 points, respectively.
NC Central is 1-0 against opponents from the Big South Conference this season after knocking off the preseason favorite Campbell Camels in double overtime on Nov. 25.
