GAME NOTES
2021-22 Regular Season
North Carolina Central (1-4, 0-0 MEAC)
Vs.
Apprentice School (3-3, 0-0 USCAA)
Saturday, Nov. 27, 2021 – 3:00 p.m.
McDougald-McLendon Arena – Durham, N.C.
TV: NCCU Sports Network
Stats: NCCUEaglePride.com
 
Complete Game Notes (PDF)
 
STARTING FIVE:
1. NCCU begins its 89th season with over 1,230 wins.
2. LeVelle Moton will coach his 13th season at NCCU in 2021-22, and is just the third coach in program history to coach 10+ campaigns.
3. NCCU will play 11 of its 14 non-conference games away from home, and three of those at a neutral site.
4. NCCU will face six first-time opponents during the non-conference slate.
5. NCCU has gone 19-1 at home in non-conference games since 2016.
 
SCOUTING THE BUILDERS
The Apprentice School is 3-3 heading into the end of November, and are yet to play a home game.  The Builders have been efficient scorers in their first six games, as they are averaging 85.5 points per game, and are shooting 50.0 percent from the perimeter.  Apprentice has three players averaging 10+ per night: Marion Moore with 14.3 points, Avin Hawkins with 13.8, and Corey Joyner with 12.2.  This will be the first meeting between NCCU and Apprentice.
 
LAST FIVE VS APPRENTICE:
First meeting.
 
WELCOME HOME
NCCU is 14-1 in home openers at McDougald-McLendon Arena since 2007.  High Point dropped the Eagles 73-64 in 2008, since then NCCU has won 13 straight home debuts.
11/21/07 vs. Tennessee Tech...... 73-70 W
12/3/08 vs. High Point... ............... 64-73 L
11/18/09 vs. N.C. Wesleyan........ 85-70 W
11/12/10 vs. Johnson & Wales.... 90-30 W
11/13/11 vs. Johnson & Wales.. 115-41 W
11/12/12 vs. Johnson & Wales.. 109-46 W
11/11/13 vs. Johnson & Wales.... 98-47 W
11/18/14  vs. College of Faith.... 123-65 W
11/16/16 vs. Allen.......... ............. 78-54 W
11/17/17 vs. Warren Wilson..... 101-76 W
11/18/18 vs. Warren Wilson..... 123-57 W
11/11/19 vs. USC Upstate........... 73-64 W
01/29/21 vs. Carver....... ............. 94-61 W
11/23/21 vs. Warren Wilson..... 110-32 W
 
EAGLES ON TOUR
NCCU will head on its second four-game road trip of the season from Nov. 29-Dec. 6 as it visits Gardner-Webb, USC Upstate, UNC Asheville and The Citadel.  This is the second time in the last three seasons where the Eagles have had multiple four-game road trips.  The last time it happened was during the 2019-20 season: Nov. 26-Dec. 7 and Jan. 11-20.
 
RUNNING EAGLES
NCCU has turned defensive into offense multiple times in 2019-20, highlighted by the Eagles holding Florida A&M scoreless for the final 8:37 of a tied game to spark a 16-0 run on the way to a 61-45 win to start league play.  NCCU brought that same intensity to its 2021-22 home opener against Warren Wilson as the Eagles started the game with an 18-0 run in the first 3:39.  Below is a look at the Eagles' best scoring runs within the past few seasons.
             .......................... Points........ Time
1. vs. CC (12/12/19)....... 28................ 7:32
2. vs. WWC (11/23/21). 18................ 3:39
2. vs. FAMU (1/4/20)...... 16................ 8:37
3. vs. NSU (2/3/20)......... 16................ 8:13
4. vs. HOW (2/24/20)..... 14................ 6:43
5. vs. BSC (11/21/19)...... 13................ 4:44
6. vs. MACU (12/31/19). 13................ 3:10
7. at LA Tech (12/17/19) 12................ 3:32
 
CALDWELL, FOUR THREE!
Alex Caldwell got off to a hot start at Richmond in the season-opener on Nov. 9, as he went 4-for-4 from downtown on his way to a career-high 17 points.  The last time an Eagle had a perfect game from downtown was when Deven Palmer also went 4-for-4 on the road at Coppin State on Feb. 8, 2020.  Caldwell then went 4-for-4 from the arc in the first half again against Warren Wilson on Nov. 23 during a run of making his first five attempts.  Caldwell is currently second in the MEAC in three-point percentage at 55.0, and fourth in treys per game at 2.2.
 
ARC ARCHERS
NCCU hit the mark 14 times from the perimeter against South Carolina State on Feb. 1, 2021, and shot 58.3 percent (14-24) in that game as well on the way to a 91-77 victory.    The Eagles also made an impressive eight treys in the first half alone.  14 three-pointers is the most made by the Eagles in a regular-season game against a MEAC opponent since NCCU connected 16 times against North Carolina A&T on Jan. 28, 2017 in an 82-59 win.  The Eagles found the range once again in the 2021-22 season as they drilled 15 in the home-opening win against Warren Wilson on Nov. 23.  NCCU delivered 11 of those triples within the first 20 minutes as well.