DURHAM, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University women's basketball team has won its last three games and the Eagles will try and continue to climb the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) standings with road games at Howard University (Saturday, 3 p.m.) and Norfolk State University (Monday, 4 p.m.).
GAME NOTES No. 21 & 22: NCCU at Howard and Norfolk St.
GAME INFO
Saturday, Jan. 28 at 3 p.m., in Washington, D.C.
NC Central at Howard
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LIVE STATS
Monday, Jan. 30 at 4 p.m., in Norfolk, Va.
NC Central at Norfolk State
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LIVE STATS
NC CENTRAL BENCH
The Eagles posted a perfect 3-0 homestand with MEAC wins over South Carolina State, Delaware State and Maryland Eastern Shore over the past two weeks. NC Central (9-11 Overall, 3-2 MEAC) enters its road trip in a two-way tie for third place out of eight teams in the league standings with Howard.
Freshman
Jerni Kiaku (13.8 PPG) and junior
Kimeira Burks (13.6 PPG) are both averaging nearly 14 points per game against conference competition. On the season, Kiaku (6th, 12.1 PPG) and Burks (8th, 11.8 PPG) are both in the top-10 of the MEAC in scoring. Kiaku, who has earned MEAC Rookie of the Week honors five times this season, also leads NCCU with 1.8 steals per game for a squad that ranks fourth nationally with 23.7 turnovers forced per game. Burks continues to be a top 3-point shooter in the nation, leading the MEAC and ranking 27th nationally in 3-pointers made per game (2.74) and 28th nationally in 3-point shooting percentage (42.3%).
Senior
Kira Lowery (8.0 PPG), who had 11 assists in NCCU's win against DSU, ranks third in the conference with 3.4 assists per game. Junior
Tippy Robertson (5.5 PPG, 2.6 APG) and Kiaku (2.3 APG) join Lowery as three of the top-10 playmakers in the league.
Sophomore
Morgan Callahan (7.8 PPG, 6.0 RPG) tops NCCU's rebounders in league play. On the season, classmate
Aniya Finger (7.6 PPG, 5.5 RPG) has the best rebounding average on the team.
NCCU lost both meetings against Howard last season. The Bison picked up a 66-55 road win in Durham and then held off the Eagles 65-63 in Washington, D.C. Lowery averaged 9.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.0 blocks per game in those two contests.
The Eagles played Norfolk State three times last campaign with the Spartans winning all three showdowns. The Spartans won 80-70 and 71-63 in the regular season and then eliminated NCCU in the MEAC Tournament quarterfinals by a close 58-52 margin. Junior
Taylor Williams averaged 12.0 points per game against NSU last season.
HOWARD BENCH
The Bison ended a short two-game skid with a 62-58 home win over Coppin State in their last game on Monday. Howard (7-11 Overall, 3-2 MEAC) is the defending MEAC champions and are the preseason favorites.
Junior Destiny Howell, the MEAC Tournament Most Outstanding Player last season, is the top scorer in the league with an average of 15.3 points per game. Senior Iyanna Warren (9.3 PPG, 1.7 SPG) joined Howell as a Preseason All-MEAC First Team selection, but has not played since Dec. 21.
Graduate student Aziah Hudson, a transfer from Old Dominion (ODU), is averaging 12.1 points per game, including a team-best 14.0 points per game in conference clashes with 13 made 3-pointers in five league tilts.
Senior forward Brooklynn Fort-Davis (9.2 PPG, 5.2 RPG) and graduate student Krislyn Marsh (5.3 PPG, 3.5 RPG) were both voted to the Preseason All-MEAC Third Team. Junior guard Kaniyah Harris (3.4 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 1.4 SPG) leads the league with 3.7 assists per game.
Howell scored 11 points in Howard's first win against NCCU last season while Fort-Davis tallied a double-double in the second triumph.
NORFOLK STATE BENCH
The Spartans had a seven game win streak come to an end with a 57-46 road setback at Morgan State on Monday. Norfolk State (16-4 Overall, 4-1 MEAC) is 8-0 at home and has the best overall record in the conference and currently sits in second place in the league standings. NSU will host South Carolina State on Saturday before entertaining the Eagles on Monday.
Graduate student Deja Francis (11.8 PPG), graduate student Camille Downs (10.8 PPG) and sophomore Kierra Wheeler (10.2 PPG) all average within 1.5 points of each other as Norfolk State's top-3 scorers. Francis and Downs are both Preseason All-MEAC First Team selections. Francis is second in the league with 3.6 assists per game while Downs leads the MEAC with 3.0 steals per game and leads the Spartans in made 3-pointers. Wheeler leads the MEAC with 8.3 rebounds per game and is second in the MEAC with a .556 field goal shooting percentage.
Junior Mahoganie Williams, a Preseason All-MEAC Second Team honoree, leads the conference with 1.5 blocks per game. Sophomore Makoye Diawara is chipping in 6.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game while classmate Niya Fields is averaging the same amount of points and is one of just two Spartans to start all 20 games.
Against NCCU last season, Downs averaged 19.7 points and 8.3 rebounds per game while Francis scored in double digits in all three wins for an average of 14.3 points per game.
