DURHAM, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University women's basketball team will travel to the Charm City to play Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference games at Coppin State University (Saturday, March 2, 2 p.m.) and Morgan State University (Monday, March 4, 5:30 p.m.).
 
GAME NOTES: NCCU vs. Coppin State (PDF)
GAME NOTES: NCCU vs. Morgan State (will be published before Monday's game)
 
GAME INFO
 
Saturday, March 2 at 2 p.m.
NC Central at Coppin State
Baltimore, Md. (Physical Education Complex)
WATCH; LIVE STATS; TICKETS
 
Monday, March 4 at 5:30 p.m.
NC Central at Morgan State
Baltimore, Md. (Hill Field House)
WATCH; LIVE STATS;

NCCU BENCH
 
The Eagles have lost their last three games, committing an average of 25.7 turnovers per game over that span. NC Central (12-14 Overall, 6-5 MEAC) is tied for fourth place in the MEAC standings with Coppin State after dropping its last game to Delaware State, 75-64, in overtime.
 
NCCU still has three of the top-10 scorers in the MEAC in junior forward Morgan Callahan (13.4 PPG), freshman guard Kyla Bryant (12.4 PPG) and senior guard Kimeira Burks (11.2 PPG).  
 
Callahan, who plays the most minutes in the league (34.7 minutes/game), is one of the top ranked players in the MEAC in numerous statistical categories: 8.9 rebounds per game (3rd), 1.6 steals per game (6th), 0.7 blocks per game (6th) and .432 field-goal percentage (4th).
 
Bryant, who is second in the MEAC in minutes played per game (33.8), tops NCCU and ranks fourth in the conference with 1.9 steals per game. Burks is tied for the league lead in made 3-pointers per game at 2.1 treys per contest.
 
Freshman Jada Tiggett leads the MEAC with 2.0 blocks per game and she just tied NCCU's modern-era, single-game individual block record with seven blocks against DSU on Monday. Senior guard Tippy Robertson continues to run the point for the Eagles with 3.9 assists per game, ranking second best in the league.
 
NCCU knocked off Coppin State, 53-48, in Durham on Feb. 3. Callahan led the way with a still career-high, 21-point performance. Callahan, who has eight double-doubles on the season, just missed a double-double while filling up the box score with nine rebounds, three blocks and two steals.
 
The Eagles edged Morgan State, 66-65, in Durham on Feb. 5. Junior Aniya Finger, who had a pair of double-doubles against MSU in the 2022-23 season, nearly got another one in that win over the Bears with 15 points and eight rebounds. However, Finger has not played in NCCU's last two games. A total of five NCCU players reached double-digit points in that one-point victory, including a double-double by Callahan with team-high totals of 17 points and 11 rebounds. Bryant scored 12 points while Burks and Robertson each contributed 10 points.
 
COPPIN STATE BENCH
 
The CSU Eagles have also lost three consecutive MEAC games like the NCCU Eagles entering Saturday's showdown in which both teams are tied in the standings. Coppin State (9-16 Overall, 6-5 MEAC) has played the top three teams in the MEAC during their losing skid (UMES, Norfolk State and Howard).
 
Junior forward Laila Lawrence, a transfer from Texas A&M-Commerce, has taken over the team lead in points, rebounds and blocks per game. Lawrence ranks as the top rebounder in the league at 10.4 rebounds per game, while ranking second in the league with 14.1 points per game and third in the conference with 1.1 blocks per game. The former Lone Star Conference Sixth Woman of the Year has already earned one MEAC Player of the Week and five MEAC Defensive Player of the Week awards in her first season with the CSU Eagles.
 
Coppin State has two other players averaging over 10 points per game in junior guard Faith Blackstone (12.2 PPG) and sophomore guard Angel Jones (10.5 PPG). Blackstone and senior guard Mossi Staples, who is contributing a team-best 2.6 assists per game, were both named Preseason All-MEAC.
 
Junior guard Faith Blackstone, a Preseason All-MEAC Third Team selection, is second on the team with 12.1 points per game while sophomore Angel Jones provides Coppin State with a third player averaging double-digit points at 10.3 points per game. Junior Tiffany Hammond (6.5 PPG) is third in the MEAC with 1.8 made 3-pointers per game. Preseason All-MEAC First Team honoree senior guard Mossi Staples (6.3 PPG) has CSU's most starts (25) and leads the team with 2.6 assists per game.
 
Lawrence posted a monster double-double of 22 points and 16 rebounds in CSU's five-point loss to NCCU in February. Jones followed with 12 points.
 
MORGAN STATE BENCH
 
The Bears have lost their last five games and are coming off a 57-53 makeup loss at Delaware State on Thursday. Morgan State (7-19 Overall, 2-9 MEAC) will host South Carolina State University on Saturday before entertaining the Eagles on Monday.
 
Forward Joelle Johnson, who has played at Northwestern State, Northern Kentucky and Georgia State before joining the Bears, has started the most games this season and is producing a team-high 8.9 points per game while chipping in 4.8 rebounds, 1.4 steals, 1.4 assists and 0.7 blocks per game.
 
Junior forward Laila Fair, who played her first two collegiate seasons at UMass and Saint Joseph's, is also averaging over eight points per game while leading MSU with 7.1 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. Fair, who missed 15 games this season, just returned to the lineup for the Bears the last two games.
 
Sophomore Gabrielle Johnson, who was an MEAC All-Rookie selection last season and a Preseason All-MEAC honoree this year, is chipping in 6.4 points, 1.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game.
 
Freshman Amari Smith (5.5 PPG) and senior Anjanae Mueck (3.3 PPG) each scored 15 points in MSU's one-point loss to NCCU in February.  
 
For more information on NCCU Athletics, visit NCCUEaglePride.com, or download the NCCU Eagles Athletics app.