DURHAM, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University women's basketball team is 2-0 inside McDougald-McLendon Arena since the start of the new calendar year and the Eagles will look to double up that win total with Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference home tilts against Delaware State University (Saturday, Jan. 21, 2 p.m.) and University of Maryland Eastern Shore (Monday, Jan. 23, 5:30 p.m.) this week.
 
GAME NOTES No. 19/20: NCCU vs. DSU and MDES

GAME INFO

Saturday, Jan. 21 at 2 p.m., in Durham, N.C.
Delaware State at NC Central
WATCH (NCCU Sports Network); LIVE STATS
 
Monday, Jan. 23 at 5:30 p.m., in Durham, N.C.
Maryland Eastern Shore at NC Central
WATCH (NCCU Sports Network); LIVE STATS

TICKETS (Any NCCU home game)

NC CENTRAL BASKETBALL
 
The Eagles picked up their first league win of the season in their last outing, defeating South Carolina State 72-55 in McDougald-McLendon Arena last Saturday. NCCU (7-11 Overall, 1-2 MEAC) sports a 5-3 record at home this season, including two straight triumphs, and enters the week in a two-way tie for fifth place in the conference standings with DSU.
 
Freshman guard Jerni Kiaku was named MEAC Rookie of the Week for a second straight week and fifth time this season on Tuesday after scoring a season-high 25 points in NCCU's 17-point victory over SCSU. Kiaku currently ranks sixth in the league in scoring (12.3 PPG), fifth in field goal percentage (.486), sixth in steals (1.9 SPG) and 10th in assists (2.2 APG).
 
Junior guard Kimeira Burks also averages double-digit points for the Eagles, ranking ninth in the MEAC in scoring (11.4 PPG). Burks continues to be the top long range shooter in the conference, leading the league in both 3-point field goal percentage (.415) and 3-point field goals per game (2.6).
 
NCCU is ranked fourth nationally out of 350 NCAA Division I programs with 23.61 turnovers forced per game. The Eagles have seven players averaging at least one steal per game.
 
The maroon and gray is the highest scoring team in the MEAC with an average of 68.3 points per game with all 11 Eagles that have seen court time this season providing offensive support at time.
 
Sophomore Aniya Finger (7.9 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 1.4 BPG), junior Blessing Okoh (6.2 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.1 SPG) and sophomore Morgan Callahan (8.8 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.0 APG) are all averaging over five rebounds per contest. Finger, who has missed seven games this season due to injury, would currently rank second in the league in blocks per game once she meets the minimum games played threshold.
 
NC Central swept Delaware State last season by scores of 75-54 (Dover) and 73-49 (Durham) to take a 9-8 all-time series lead over the Hornets. Senior Kira Lowery (8.1 PPG, 2.9 APG, 2.0 RPG, 1.2 SPG) scored a team-high 16 points in the road win while sophomore Nia Ford (4.8 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 1.5 SPG, 1.1 APG) scored eight points in the home triumph.
 
Eastern Shore knocked off NCCU twice last season, winning 81-59 at home and 77-64 on the road. Lowery averaged 10.5 points per game in those two setbacks for the Eagles.
 
DELAWARE STATE BASKETBALL
 
The Hornets joined the Eagles in securing their first MEAC win of the season last Saturday with a road conquest of Maryland Eastern Shore (68-60). Delaware State (3-11 Overall, 1-2 MEAC) – picked last in the MEAC Preseason Predicted Order of Finish poll – is showing much improvement from its winless season last year.
 
DSU's top three scorers are all averaging within one point of each other in senior guard Alexis Moragne (9.4 PPG, 1.4 APG), freshman guard Savannah Brooks (8.9 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 1.4 APG) and senior point guard Denijsha Wilson (8.8 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.4 SPG).
 
The Hornets lead the nation in fewest fouls per game getting whistled for just an average of 11.9 fouls per contest.
 
Senior forward Jessica Martino is fifth in the MEAC with 6.7 rebounds per game.
 
Moragne averaged 11.0 points per game last season against NCCU.
 
MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE BASKETBALL
 
The Hawks remained winless against conference competition with their 68-60 home loss to Delaware State last Saturday. Maryland Eastern Shore (4-13 Overall, 0-3 MEAC) was picked just ahead of NCCU in the MEAC Preseason Predicted Order of Finish poll in fifth position out of eight teams.
 
Junior guard Zamara Haynes, who was named Preseason All-MEAC Second Team for this campaign, has team-best averages of 10.8 points, 2.5 assists and 1.6 steals per game. Haynes has shot the second-most free throws (85) in the league this season, helping contribute to a Hawks program that is getting the most attempts (19.18) from the charity stripe in the league.
 
Junior point guard Mya Thomas is leading the team in minutes played for a second straight season and she is providing 9.4 points and 1.7 assists per game. Freshman Ja'la Bannerman joins Thomas in the backcourt and is supplying 8.7 points per game.
 
Sophomore Ariana Seawell was named to both the Third Team All-MEAC and MEAC All-Rookie Team. In her second season with the Shore, Seawell is averaging 7.8 points and a team-best 4.5 rebounds per game.
 
Seawell notched a double-double (12 points, 10 rebounds) in Eastern Shore's first win against NCCU last season and she nearly got another one with a team-high totals of 16 points and seven rebounds in the second meeting.