CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – North Carolina Central's men's basketball team takes the short trip to the Smith Center on Friday to face North Carolina at 9 p.m. The Eagles look to build momentum after their victory on Wednesday, welcoming the challenge of playing a nationally ranked team.  

Game 5:

NCCU (1-3) at No.18 UNC (3-0)

Friday, Nov. 14, 2025 – 9:00 p.m.

Smith Center – Chapel Hill, N.C.

ACC Network | Live Stats

Series History: NC Central and North Carolina will meet for the fourth time. The previous contests were in 2020, 2014 and 2009. In the last outing, UNC defeated NCCU 73-67 in Chapel Hill. CJ Keyser led the Eagles with 19 points, almost upsetting the Tarheels.

Last Time Out: The Eagles earned their first win of the season, taking down Bluefield State 77-61 on Wednesday evening. Gage Lattimore caught fire from beyond the arc, going 9-of-12, totaling 38 points. He was one three-pointer away from tying the school record for threes made in a single game. Khouri Carvey had his second double-double of the season, with 21 points and 10 rebounds.      

30-Point Club: Gage Lattimore has been welcomed to the 30-point club after putting 38 up against Bluefield State. Lattimore tied Jeremy Ingram's performance versus Savannah State in 2014. He now sits second in single-game records for three-pointers made (9), tied with Coach Moton.

Wing Clipped – Ball Ripped: The Eagles forced 16 turnovers from Bluefield State, led by Dionte Johnson's seven takeaways. In the last six seasons, there have only been two times that NCCU didn't finish nationally in the top-15 in turnovers forced per game.

          2024-25: 7^th (16.00)

          2022-23: 9^th (16.77)

          2021-22: 11^th (16.90)

          2019-20: 10^th (15.40)

Fearless Flight – Eagles vs Ranked Teams: Friday will be the third time in four seasons that NC Central plays a nationally ranked opponent. UNC is currently ranked 18^th in the AP Poll. NCCU opened its 2023 season against No.1 Kansas and did the same in 2022 versus No.18 Virginia.

The MEAC Minute: The Eagles are second in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in steals per game (8.75) and third in three-point field goal percentage (36.7) and turnover margin (1.25). Individually, Gage Lattimore is first in scoring (24.0), free-throw percentage (100) and three-point field goal percentage (62.1). Khouri Carvey leads the conference in rebounding (9.5) and Dionte Johnson is tied for second in steals (3.5).

For more information on NCCU Athletics, visit NCCUEaglePride.com, or download the NCCU Eagles Athletics app.