DURHAM, N.C. — The North Carolina Central University women's basketball team will begin Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Southern Division play with a pair of games at Norfolk State University on Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 23-24.
GAME INFO:
DATE: Sat., Jan. 23 (3 PM) & Sun., Jan. 24 (2 PM)
LOCATION: Joseph Echols Hall, Norfolk, Va.
TICKETS: NO fans allowed
WATCH:
Spartan Showcase ($)
FOLLOW:
LIVE STATS;
@NCCUAthletics
DIGITAL GAME NOTES:
NC Central;
Norfolk State
NC CENTRAL SNIPPETS:
After three extra weeks, the Eagles will begin MEAC play with high hopes after posting their first winning league record since rejoining the conference as a NCAA Division I member in 2011-12. NCCU recorded a 9-7 MEAC record last season.
NCCU (2-3 Overall, 0-0 MEAC) concluded its non-conference slate with an 87-58 home win against North Carolina Wesleyan College. The Eagles and Spartans were originally scheduled to play in Norfolk on Jan. 2-3, before the games were rescheduled to Jan. 23-24.
Junior forward
Kiyana Brown made the best of her first start of the season, scoring a career-high 22 points and grabbing 10 rebounds for her first double-double of the season. Brown earned MEAC Player of the Week honors for her outstanding play that week.
Senior guard
Kieche White missed her third game of the season to start the New Year, but she continues to pace the Eagles with 20.0 points and 3.5 steals per game. She also ranks second on the team with 7.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game.
Sophomore forward
Anissa Rivera has been recognized by the MEAC with a weekly award in all four weeks the Eagles have played this season, including one MEAC Player of the Week honor and three Defensive Player of the Week awards. She tops NCCU with 8.6 rebounds and 3.6 blocks per game. Rivera's 3.6 blocks per game ranks fifth nationally.
White and Rivera are both Preseason All-MEAC selections.
Senior guard
Necole Hope is a third Eagle averaging over 10 points per game with 10.6 points per game.
Freshman guard
Paris McBride, who is netting 7.6 points per game, leads the MEAC with 2.4 steals per game and tops NCCU with 3.0 assists per game. McBride flirted with a triple-double against the Battling Bishops as she totaled seven points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.
NORFOLK STATE SNIPPETS:
The Spartans were the preseason favorites in the Northern Division when the MEAC announced its preseason honors. Since then, NSU has been moved into the Southern Division with Bethune-Cookman University and Florida A&M University both opting out of the season.
NSU (1-5 Overall, 0-2 MEAC) has posted a winning record in the league in each of its last four season, including a 12-4 MEAC ledger in 2019-20. However, the Spartans began league play with two losses at North Carolina A&T State University last weekend.
For a second straight season a transfer is leading the Spartans in scoring. Norfolk State is without last year's MEAC Player of the Year and MEAC Defensive Player of the Year in Chanette Hicks (transfer from Virginia Tech), but another transfer in junior guard Jalynn Holmes (Towson) has taken over the top scoring duties for the Spartans. Holmes is bucketing 12.0 points per game in her first season at NSU.
A few other transfers are making an impact for the Spartans. Junior guard Jaiden Morris (Iowa Western CC) is second on the team with 10.7 points per game. Senior forward Mangela Ngandjui (UNCG) is averaging 8.8 points per game and a team-best 8.8 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 1.0 blocks per game. Another transfer in sophomore Shine Strickland-Gills (Central Michigan) made her NSU debut against the Aggies while senior E'Lexus Davis (Hofstra) is contributing 7.5 points per game and a team-best 3.3 assists.
SERIES:
The Spartans have won the last four meetings against NCCU, including an 83-75 triumph in Durham on Feb. 3, 2020. In that last showdown, junior Shekinah Howard – who is averaging 9.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game this season – scored 11 points off the bench for the victors. White and Rivera led the Eagles with 18 and 15 points, respectively.
Norfolk State has a 21-8 all-time series lead on NCCU.
