DURHAM, N.C. — The North Carolina Central University women's basketball team will try and level its league ledger when the Eagles hit the road for a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) clash at South Carolina State University on Saturday at 2 p.m.
 
GAME INFO:

GAME NOTES 11 at South Carolina St.
DATE: Saturday, Jan. 15 at 2:00 p.m.
LOCATION: Smith-Hammond-Middleton (SHM) Arena  
WATCH: No Video Provided  
LISTEN: Audio (ESPN Orangeburg 1580 AM|92.9 FM)
FOLLOW: No Live Stats Provided; @NCCUAthletics
 
NC CENTRAL BENCH:
 
The Eagles played a close game in their conference opener in which they only trailed by six points in the fourth quarter, but visiting Norfolk State University was able to hold off several NCCU rallies to win the contest 80-70 on Monday. NCCU (1-9 Overall, 0-1 MEAC) is 0-8 on the road.
 
Senior Necole Hope still ranks as NCCU's leading scorer at 12.4 points per game, but she missed the first game of the New Year due to injury.
 
Freshman Diamond Thomas led the Eagles with 18 points against the Spartans, which matched her season-best scoring total as she is averaging 9.9 points per game in her rookie season.
 
Senior Ashlyn Lockard (8.8 PPG, 6.0 RPG) and sophomore Tianna Carter (8.7 PPG, 7.6 RPG) are providing the maroon and gray with a strong presence in the paint. Carter is second in the conference with her 7.6 rebounds per contest.
 
Sophomore Paris McBride (5.5 PPG, 2.6 APG) and junior Kira Lowery (3.5 PPG, 2.5 APG) have been NCCU's top playmakers this season, ranking fourth and fifth, respectively, in the league. McBride also leads the Eagles and ranks third in the MEAC with 2.4 steals per game while Lowery's eight assists against NSU is a season-best game total for any NCCU player this season.
 
The Eagles best team statistic heading into Saturday's contest is their average of 11.2 steals per game, which ranks second best in the MEAC. On the downside, they rank last in the league in 3-point field goal percentage (22.2%).
                                                                                                                         
SOUTH CAROLINA STATE BENCH:
 
The Bulldogs will be playing their league opener on Saturday after having their first two games get postponed last weekend. South Carolina State (0-14 Overall, 0-0 MEAC) – picked last in the MEAC Preseason Order of Finish poll – is still searching for its first win and is coming off a 47-32 home loss to Furman University on Dec. 29.
 
Sophomore Trinity Klock was SCSU's leading returning scorer and was named Preseason All-MEAC Second Team after earning MEAC All-Rookie Team honors last saeson. Klock is averaging 9.6 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. She ranks as the MEAC's second leading blocker and sixth leading rebounder.
 
Classmate Nadia Reese joins Klock in having played all 14 games for the Bulldogs this season and is 5.5 points and a team-best 2.0 assists per game.
 
Freshman Nicole Gwynn ranks second in the MEAC with 2.2 made 3-pointers per game is listed as SCSU's leading scorer at 11.5 points per game, but did not play against Furman and is not currently listed on the SCSU athletics online roster. Junior Jayah Hicks was MEAC All-Rookie Team award winner in 2020, but has only played in five games this season.
 
South Carolina State is second in the MEAC with 4.6 made 3-pointers per game, but ranks last in the conference in free throw shooting percentage (58%) and rebounding margin (-11.9).
 
SERIES:
 
The two teams will play for the first time in two seasons after SCSU cancelled its last 10 games of last season due to the pandemic. The Eagles have won the last two meetings, sweeping the Bulldogs 90-49 (Feb. 1) and 55-49 (Feb. 29) in 2020. SCSU leads the all-time series 14-9. Lockard and junior Madalyn Anderson are the only to current Eagles to play in both of those triumphs. Hicks averaged 10.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game in those two contests for the Bulldogs.