DURHAM, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University men's basketball team will make its way to Baltimore, Md. this weekend to begin a two-game road trip. The Eagles will face Coppin State University on Saturday, March 2 at 4 p.m. and Morgan State University on Monday, March 4 at 7:30 p.m. NCCU will try to sweep Coppin State for the regular season and hopes to even the series with Morgan State after falling in overtime in early February.
Full Game Notes: Game 27 at Coppin State
(Updated game notes for the Morgan State game will be posted before Monday's game.)
Week 17 vs. Coppin State & Morgan State
2023-24 Regular Season
North Carolina Central (15-11, 7-4 MEAC)
at
Coppin State (2-23, 1-10 MEAC)
Saturday, March 2, 2024 – 4:00 p.m.
Physical Education Complex – Baltimore, Md.
Watch: ESPN+
Tickets: Purchase HERE
Follow: Live Stats
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Morgan State (9-18, 5-6 MEAC)
Monday, March 4, 2024 – 7:30 p.m.
Hill Field House – Baltimore, Md.
Watch: Morgan State All-Access
Tickets: Purchase HERE
Follow: Live Stats
NC CENTRAL BENCH
After dropping two games at Howard University and Norfolk State University, the North Carolina Central University men's basketball team won two games in a row at home. The last showing from the Eagles was a 93-81 victory over Delaware State University on Feb. 26.
Senior Fred Cleveland Jr. earned a double-double with 25 points and 10 assists against the Hornets. Junior Keishon Porter scored 12 points and redshirt senior Emmanuel Izunabor brought down 11 rebounds and blocked five of DSU's shots. After scoring 23 points in the first half, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference's second leading scorer Martaz Robinson of Delaware State was held to four points in the second half.
Sophomore Po'Boigh King led all scorers with 34 points in a new career-high, also grabbing eight rebounds. This was the second 30-point performance this season an Eagle as Cleveland scored 30 against St. Andrews University in December. King's performance led to MEAC Offensive Player of the Week honors on Feb. 28.
NCCU is currently in the top-10 nationally in two categories. The Eagles are the eighth-best team in the country in fast break points (15.62 ppg) and first in three-point percentage defense (27.2 percent).
The Eagles sit in a three-way second-place tie in the MEAC with Howard and South Carolina State University. With NCCU's regular season series completed against Howard, the last game of the season will be at home next Thursday, March 7 against South Carolina State.
COPPIN STATE BENCH
Coppin State University is on a nine-game skid with their most recent 78-69 loss coming at Howard University on Feb. 26. The game's leading scorer was CSU's Justin Winston who scored 25 points. He's also top-10 in the MEAC in scoring average (9th – 14.0 ppg).
In 25 games that the CSU Eagles have played this season, 10 of their losses were by 10 or less points. The only two teams in the MEAC who were able to win by more were Howard and NC Central.
Coppin State sits in 18th place in the nation for turnovers forced per game (15.12) and third in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference behind Norfolk State and Delaware State, respectively.
NCCU leads the series between Coppin State 16-5. NC Central has won three in a row over CSU. Coppin State's last win against the NCCU Eagles was in the 2022 MEAC Basketball Tournament with a 79-73 victory to advance to the championship game.
MORGAN STATE BENCH
The last time Morgan State University was on the court was at home on Feb. 26 with its team narrowly falling 85-82 to Norfolk State University. The Bears were able to keep the game close throughout but couldn't defeat the Spartans. Sophomore Rob Lawson led MSU in scoring with 20 points followed by redshirt senior Wynston Tabbs who had 19 points.
Morgan State is currently in a two-way tie with Delaware State for third place in the MEAC. Tabbs is the fourth-leading scorer in the conference at 15.8 points per game. He also leads the team in field goal percentage (40.4 percent) and steals per game (1.2).
Redshirt junior Kamron Hobbs is fourth in the league in assists (3.5) and is tied for first in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.9) with NCCU's Cleveland.
NC Central leads the series 12-3 against Morgan State. In the last meeting, the Bears pulled off a 79-72 victory over the Eagles in overtime at McDougald-McLendon Arena on Feb. 5. Before then, MSU had only beaten NCCU once since 2012.
For more information on NCCU Athletics, visit NCCUEaglePride.com, or download the NCCU Eagles Athletics app.
