DURHAM, N.C. — The North Carolina Central University women's basketball team will begin the month of December with a non-conference clash at East Carolina University on Monday at 6 p.m.
GAME INFO:
GAME NOTES 07 at East Carolina
DATE: Monday, Dec. 6 at 6 p.m.
LOCATION: Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum, Greenville, N.C.
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NC CENTRAL BENCH:
The Eagles will be playing their first game in week after last dropping a 73-51 road game at Elon University last Monday. NC Central (0-6) is still searching for its first win while concluding an eight-game road swing to start the season this week.
Freshman guard
Diamond Thomas was named MEAC Rookie of the Week after leading the Eagles in scoring in each of the last two games. She is NCCU's second leading scorer with an average of 10.4 points per game through six road tilts, which also ranks sixth in the MEAC. Thomas also ranks second in the league with 1.6 made 3-pointers per game and fourth in the conference with 2.0 steals per game.
Senior guard
Necole Hope – a Preseason All-MEAC selection – played 89 games for ECU over her first three collegiate seasons before transferring to NCCU last year. Hope tops the Eagles with 11.7 points per game after scoring in double figures the last three games. Hope is also providing 5.8 rebounds per game and is second in the MEAC out of qualifying individuals with a 75-percent free-throw shooting percentage.
Sophomore forward
Tianna Carter is sporting averages of 9.7 points and 6.2 rebounds per contest. Classmate
Paris McBride is third in the MEAC with 2.8 assists per game. Senior
Ashlyn Lockard is NCCU's top rebounder at 6.6 boards per game, but missed last week's game at Elon due to injury.
ECU BENCH:
The Pirates have lost their last two games to slip under .500 on the season and are coming off a 66-51 home setback to Towson University on Saturday. ECU (4-5 Overall) – preseason picked to finish seventh out of 11 teams in the American Athletic Conference – still sports a 4-1 ledger at home.
After ranking second on the team in scoring each of her first two season, junior guard Taniyah Thompson has now taking over as ECU's top scorer with an average of 14.7 points per game.
The Pirates are a tough defensive team, leading the AAC in total blocks (39) and total steals (99). Junior guard Danae McNeal, who played her first two seasons at Clemson, leads ECU with 2.0 steals per game while ranking second on the team with 9.2 points per game. Thompson follows McNeal closely with 1.9 steals per game as the squad is making an average of 11 thefts per contest. Senior forward Tiara Chambers has team-best averages of 5.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game.
SERIES:
ECU is 5-0 all-time against NC Central, including a 73-61 triumph in the last meeting on Dec. 14, 2017. Hope is the only NCCU player that played in that contest, but she was in a Pirates uniform at that time and she had five points, three rebounds, two assists and one steal that day.
