GAME NOTES
2021-22 Regular Season
North Carolina Central (2-4, 0-0 MEAC)
at
Gardner-Webb (3-3, 0-0 Big South)
Monday, Nov. 29, 2021 – 7:00 p.m.
Paul Porter Arena – Boiling Springs, N.C.
TV: ESPN+
Stats: GWUSports.com
 
Complete Game Notes (PDF)
 
SCOUTING THE RUNNIN' BULLDOGS
Gardner-Webb will finish up a four-game home stand against NCCU after starting the season against three tough opponents.  The Runnin' Bulldogs started the year on the road at UNLV, and then visited nationally-ranked Arkansas and Duke before coming home.  The stiff competition hasn't hampered GWU's scoring output, however, as it has three players averaging over 12 points per game.  D'Maurian Williams leads with 16.0 points per outing, followed by Kareem Reid with 14.0, and Lance Terry with 12.8.  This will be the fifth all-time meeting between NCCU and GWU, and the first in 35 years.  This is also the first of a home-and-home set this season.
 
LAST FIVE VS GARDNER-WEBB:
01/04/86........................ at Gardner-Webb             74-57 W
12/14/85........................ at Gardner-Webb             95-89 W
03/02/81........................ at Gardner-Webb             79-89 L
01/27/76........................ at Gardner-Webb             87-133 L
 
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.
 
50-50
The Eagles once again shot over 50 percent in consecutive games during its home-opening two-game set against Warren Wilson and Apprentice on Nov. 23 and 27.  NCCU made a total of 81 field goals, and shot 55.1 percent in those two games.  NCCU knocked down over 50 percent of its shots in back-to-back games in the 2020-21 season by registering a 54.2 percent rate against Carver on Jan. 29, and a 60.8 clip against SC State on Feb. 1.  The SCSU performance was the best shooting display by the Eagles against a conference opponent since making 61.9 percent of shots against Bethune-Cookman on Feb. 8, 2014. 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)
57.6% at LATU, vs. MACU (Dec.17-30, 2019, 68 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)
56.9% at CSU, vs. CC (Dec. 7-11, 2019, 74 FG)
56.9% vs. Carver, vs. SCSU (Jan. 29-Feb.1, 2021, 70 FG)
55.7% vs. SU, vs. CC (Nov. 24-28, 2018, 68 FG)
55.1% vs. WWC, vs. AS (Nov. 23-27, 2019, 81 FG)