DURHAM, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University women's basketball team will begin the second half of Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference competition with key road games at Howard University (Saturday, 1 p.m.) and Norfolk State University (Monday, 5:30 p.m.).
GAME NOTES: NCCU vs. Howard (PDF)
GAME NOTES: NCCU vs. Norfolk State (PDF)
GAME INFO
Saturday, Feb. 17 at 1 p.m.
NC Central at Howard
Washington, D.C. (Burr Gymnasium)
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LIVE STATS
Monday, Feb. 19 at 5:30 p.m.
NC Central at Norfolk State
Norfolk, Va. (Joseph Echols Hall)
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LIVE STATS
NCCU BENCH
The Eagles have won their last three games and are coming off a narrow 66-65 home victory over Morgan State University on Monday, Feb. 5. NC Central (11-11 Overall, 5-2 MEAC) is in a three-way tie for second place in the league standings with Howard and Coppin State University heading into the second half of conference competition.
The top scoring team in the league (67.5 PPG) continues to have three of the top-6 scorers in the conference in freshman guard
Kyla Bryant (13.5 PPG), junior forward
Morgan Callahan (13.2 PPG) and senior guard
Kimeira Burks (11.8 PPG). That trio also ranks within the top-12 league leaders in steals per game as well. Callahan, who was the last announced MEAC Player of the Week, sits third in the MEAC with a team-best 8.8 rebounds per game. Burks continues to pace the conference with 2.1 made 3-pointers per game.
Senior guard
Tippy Robertson is second in the league with 3.9 assists per game while freshman wing
Jada Tiggett is the top shot blocker in the MEAC at 2.0 blocks per game.
The Eagles knocked off Howard, 79-76, in overtime in the first showdown on Jan. 6. It was NCCU's second straight win over the Bison. Bryant (23 points), Callahan (20) and Burks (10) all scored in double digits and Callahan completed a double-double with a game-high 14 rebounds.
NCCU dropped its first tilt with NSU, 81-60, on Jan. 8. Bryant led the Eagles with 17 points, Callahan netted another double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds and junior forward
Aniya Finger contributed 11 points.
HOWARD BENCH
The Bison have won their last two games, including a 69-57 road triumph at Delaware State University in their last game on Feb. 5. Howard (8-13 Overall, 5-2 MEAC) is tied with NCCU and Coppin State in a share of second place in the league standings.
Fifth-year guard Iyanna Warren, an All-MEAC honoree in 2022, has come back from injury to lead the Bison with 11.4 points and 3.1 assists per game.
Freshman guard Tyana Walker is matching Warren with 11.4 points per game and is Howard's top 3-point threat (37 made 3-pointers). Sophomore forward Nile Miller, an All-MEAC Rookie Team selection last season, chips in 7.1 points per game to go along with team-best averages of 6.2 rebounds and 0.9 blocks per game.
Preseason MEAC Player of the Year Destiny Howell was announced out for the season due to injury just before the start of the regular season.
The Bison hold a 14-4 all-time series lead on NCCU. Warren tallied 26 points and five assists in Howard's overtime road loss to the Eagles in January.
NORFOLK STATE BENCH
The Spartans have won five straight games and last defeated University of Maryland Eastern Shore on Feb. 5. Norfolk State. Norfolk State (17-5 Overall, 6-1 MEAC) – the reigning MEAC champions – are in first place in the league standings by one game and will host South Carolina State University on Saturday before entertaining the Eagles on Monday.
Redshirt junior point guard Diamond Johnson started playing for the Spartans at the end of the fall semester in mid-December and now leads NSU with 20.6 points and 4.1 steals per game while also averaging 5.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. Johnson, who has made an average of over three 3-pointers per game in her 12 starts so far this season, transferred to Norfolk State after playing two seasons at NC State, where she earned All-ACC honors last season and ACC Sixth Player of the Year in 2022. As a rookie, Johnson was an All-Big Ten selection at Rutgers.
Junior forward Kierra Wheeler was recognized as the Most Outstanding Player in the 2023 MEAC Tournament that the Spartans won, and she ranks as the MEAC's top scorer at 17.7 points per game (Johnson does not qualify yet due to not enough games played). Wheeler also leads the conference with 9.8 rebounds per game.
Junior guard Niya Fields is the only Spartans to start all 22 games so far this season and she leads the MEAC with 4.2 assists and 2.5 steals per game (again, Johnson doesn't have enough games played yet to be qualified as the league leader in steals).
Five Spartans scored in double digits in NSU's win over NCCU in January. Wheeler (17 points, 14 rebounds) and Johnson (15 points, 10 rebounds) each had a double-double in that win. Norfolk State has a 28-11 all-time series lead on the Eagles.
For more information on NCCU Athletics, visit NCCUEaglePride.com, or download the NCCU Eagles Athletics app.
