DURHAM, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University women's basketball team will try and extend its two-game win streak when the Eagles play a pair of Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) road games at University of Maryland Eastern Shore (Saturday, Jan. 27, 2 p.m.) and Delaware State University (Monday, Jan. 29, 5:30 p.m.).
GAME NOTES: NCCU vs. UMES (PDF)
GAME NOTES: NCCU vs. DSU (will be published before Monday's game)
GAME INFO
Saturday, Jan. 27 at 2 p.m.
NC Central at UMES
Princess Anne, Md. (Hytche Arena)
WATCH;
LIVE STATS;
TICKETS
Monday, Jan. 29 at 5:30 p.m.
NC Central at Delaware State
Dover, Del. (Memorial Hall Gym)
WATCH;
LIVE STATS;
TICKETS
NCCU BENCH
The Eagles last picked up a 75-61 MEAC road win at South Carolina State University last Saturday. NCCU (8-10 Overall, 2-1 MEAC) has won three of its last four games and is tied for second place in the league standings.
The highest scoring team in the conference (69.0 PPG) has three of the MEAC's top six qualifying scorers qualifying in freshman
Kyla Bryant (14.4 PPG), senior
Kimeira Burks (12.9 PPG) and junior
Morgan Callahan (12.3 PPG). Bryant has scored in double-digits in 12 consecutive games, Burks continues to lead the league with 2.3 made 3-pointers per game and Callahan ranks second in the MEAC with 8.7 rebounds per game. All three rank in the top-10 of the conference in steals per game.
Junior
Aniya Finger netted season-high totals of 19 points and eight rebounds to lead NCCU to its win over the Bulldogs in just her fourth game of the season. Senior
Tippy Robertson ranks second in the MEAC with 3.7 assists per game while freshman
Jada Tiggett would lead the league with her 1.8 blocks per game if she has played enough games (but is just under the minimum requirement of games played).
NCCU split its season series with UMES last season, with the home team winning both times. Burks paced the Eagles with 20 points, including five made 3-pointers, in an 82-77 home win on Jan. 23, 2023, while senior
Kimia Carter, who has scored in double digits in both of NCCU's last two wins, swished 14 points in that contest. The Hawks won the second meeting, 92-74, in Princess Anne on Feb. 20, 2023. Burks once again highlighted play for the Eagles with six made 3-pointers on the way to 22 points while Finger contributed 12 points in that loss.
The Eagles have swept Delaware State each of the last two seasons, including a 63-44 home win and a 62-50 road triumph last season, and NCCU leads the all-time series 11-8. Burks averaged a team-best 14.0 points per game against the Hornets last year while Carter, Robertson and Callahan all scored in double digits once against DSU in 2022-23.
UMES BENCH
The Hawks tallied their first league win last Saturday, defeating Delaware State 76-45 on the road. UMES (8-10 Overall, 1-2 MEAC) has the same overall record as NCCU and is one game behind the Eagles in the league standings. The Hawks did play one half of basketball on Wednesday, dropping the conclusion of a suspended game to Towson University that started in November.
Junior post player Ariana Seawell, a former All-MEAC selection, leads UMES with 12.7 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. Seawell, who has five double-doubles and ranks second in the league with a .524 field goal percentage, had a streak of scoring double digits in 13 consecutive games come to an end with nine points against DSU.
Graduate student Mya Thomas has a team-best 29 made 3-pointers on the way to ranking second on the team with 9.7 points per game. The point guard also distributes a team-best 2.5 assists per game. Senior guard Zamara Haynes, who has garnered Preseason All-MEAC attention for a second straight season, is averaging 8.6 points per game.
UMES holds an 18-5 all-time series lead on NCCU. Thomas (17.0 PPG) and Haynes (13.0 PPG) both scored in double digits in each game against the Eagles last season while Seawell averaged 11.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game in those two tilts.
DSU BENCH
The Hornets have not played since dropping their home game to UMES last Saturday (76-45). Delaware State (5-11 Overall, 1-2 MEAC) will host South Carolina State on Saturday before entertaining the Eagles on Monday.
DSU has five players on its roster averaging over nine points per game, but only one of them has played in all 16 games as the Hornets seem to have had a depleted bench like the Eagles for much of the season.
Graduate student Denijsha Wilson, who is a transfer from USC Upstate, is averaging 10.1 points per game and is the only one to play in all 16 games out of Delaware State's handful of top scorers. Sophomore Savannah Brooks, a Preseason All-MEAC Second Team selection, is supplying 10.9 points and a team-best 2.4 assists per game. Freshman McKenzie Stewart and sophomore Naomi Zulueta, who has averaged 9.0 points per game in DSU's three league contests, are both averaging around six rebounds per game.
Brooks was the top performer for the Hornets against NCCU last season, averaging 9.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.0 steals and 1.5 assists in those two losses.
For more information on NCCU Athletics, visit NCCUEaglePride.com, or download the NCCU Eagles Athletics app.
