DURHAM, N.C. – North Carolina Central University senior guard Kira Lowery will be honored Saturday afternoon just before the Eagles begin a two-game MEAC homestand inside McDougald-McLendon Arena. In its last two home games of the 2022-23 season, NCCU will be hosting Howard University on Saturday at 2 p.m., followed by Norfolk State University on Monday at 5:30 p.m.
 
GAME NOTES No. 27 & 28: NCCU vs. Howard and Norfolk St.
 
GAME INFO

Saturday, Feb. 25 at 2 p.m., in Durham, N.C. (Senior Day)
NC Central vs. Howard
WATCH (NCCU Sports Network); LIVE STATS
 
Monday, Feb. 27 at 5:30 p.m., in Durham, N.C.
NC Central vs. Norfolk State
WATCH (NCCU Sports Network); LIVE STATS

NC CENTRAL BENCH
 
The Eagles return home after going 1-1 last week with a road win at Delaware State (62-50) on Saturday and a road loss at Maryland Eastern Shore (72-92) on Monday. NC Central (12-14 Overall, 6-5 MEAC) is currently in fourth place in the MEAC standings and has an 8-4 record at home.
 
The guard tandem of junior Kimeira Burks (12.0 PPG) and freshman Jerni Kiaku (11.3 PPG) rank seventh and ninth in the league in scoring. Burks has been named MEAC Player of the Week three times and continues to be the MEAC's top 3-point shooter with an average of 2.7 made 3-pointers per game and a .390 three-point field goal percentage. Kiaku has garnered six MEAC Rook of the Week awards this season.
 
Senior guard Kira Lowery (7.6 PPG) is playing a team-best 30 minutes per game and is third in the MEAC with 3.3 assists per game. Junior Tippy Robertson (5.2 PPG, 2.4 APG, 1.5 SPG) and Kiaku (2.3 APG, 1.5 SPG) join Lowery as three of the top-10 playmakers in the league.
 
Sophomore Morgan Callahan is ninth in the MEAC with 5.9 rebounds per game while junior Tianna Carter (10.0 PPG, 6.5 RPG) and Aniya Finger (7.7 PPG, 5.8 RPG) has strengthened NCCU's post presence in more limited action this season due to injuries.
 
The Eagles remain the top scoring team in the MEAC (68.0 PPG) with the best field goal percentage in the conference (40.3%). NCCU also ranks eighth nationally with 21.73 turnovers forced per game.
 
Kiaku scored a team-high 17 points, but NCCU dropped a third consecutive contest to Howard in its first meeting against the Bison in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 28. Junior Blessing Okoh flirted with a double-double in that contest with nine points, 10 rebounds and four blocks.
 
The Eagles picked up an impressive 73-68 road win at Norfolk State in their first showdown against the Spartans this season on Feb. 6. Burks made a season-high seven 3-pointers on the way to a season-high 26 points in that triumph. Kiaku followed with 17 points while Callahan pulled down a season-high 17 rebounds.
 
HOWARD BENCH
 
The Bison come to Durham off a strong 64-56 MEAC road win at Morgan State on Monday. Howard (12-12 Overall, 8-3 MEAC) six one spot ahead of the Eagles in the standings and the Bison moved within one game of first place co-leaders MSU and Norfolk State with that triumph.
 
Junior Destiny Howell, the MEAC Tournament Most Outstanding Player last season, is the top scorer in the league with an average of 16.3 points per game. She ranks third in the MEAC with 2.5 made 3-pointers 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 another 3-point threat for the Bison and she is averaging 12.6 points per game, which ranks sixth in the MEAC.
 
Senior forward Brooklynn Fort-Davis (8.8 PPG, 5.6 RPG) and graduate student Krislyn Marsh (5.2 PPG, 3.8 RPG) were both voted to the Preseason All-MEAC Third Team. Junior guard Kaniyah Harris (3.5 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 1.4 SPG) leads the league with 3.8 assists per game.
 
Howell and Hudson scored 24 and 16 points, respectively, in leading the Bison to their 19-point triumph over NCCU last month.
 
NORFOLK STATE BENCH
 
The Spartans have won four consecutive games since losing in OT to NCCU to begin the month of February. Norfolk State (21-5 Overall, 9-2 MEAC) is tied for first place in the league standings with Morgan State and the Spartans will play at South Carolina State on Saturday before NCCU hosts NSU on Monday.
 
Graduate student Deja Francis (11.7 PPG), graduate student Camille Downs (11.3 PPG) and sophomore Kierra Wheeler (10.1 PPG) all average within 1.6 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 3.5 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 .543 field goal shooting percentage.
 
Junior Mahoganie Williams, a Preseason All-MEAC Second Team honoree, leads the conference with 1.3 blocks per game. Sophomore Makoye Diawara is chipping in 6.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per game while classmate Niya Fields is averaging the same amount of points and has started the second most games fo the Spartans (24).
 
In the overtime loss to NCCU, Downs had a big game with 21 points, nine rebounds, five steals, three assists and two blocks. Wheeler notched a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds in that same contest.