LONGWOOD, Va. – North Carolina Central's men's basketball team continues its search for its first win of the season as the Eagles travel to face Longwood on Saturday, Nov. 7. Tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. at the Joan Perry Brock Center.
Game 2:
NC Central (0-1) at Longwood (1-1)
Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026 – 3:00 p.m.
Joan Perry Brock Center – Farmville, Va.
ESPN+ | Live Stats | Tickets
Series History: Saturday's matchup will mark the 10th meeting between NCCU and Longwood, with the Lancers holding a 5-4 advantage in the all-time series. The last meeting between the programs saw Longwood escape the Nest with a narrow 74-72 victory on Dec. 20, 2025. The Lancers have won two of the last three matchups, while NCCU's most recent victory came in 2024, when the teams met in a non-conference home-and-home series.
Scouting Longwood: Longwood has already played two games during the opening week of the season. The Lancers opened with a 123-point performance in a victory over Pfeiffer before falling 82-73 at Saint Joseph's on Wednesday after struggling through a slow first half. Four Lancers are averaging double figures in scoring. Jaylen Benard and Alphonzo Billups III lead the way, tied at 13.5 points per game, while MJ Williams follows closely behind at 13.0 points per contest. Benard is also averaging a double-double, pulling down 10.0 rebounds per game.
Last Time Out: North Carolina Central dropped its season opener Monday evening, falling 78-62 to Georgia at Stegeman Coliseum. Cristian Sanon paced the Eagles with 19 points, connecting on five of his seven attempts from beyond the arc. Maurice Vassel and Trey Brown also finished in double figures for NCCU. One bright spot for the Eagles was their work on the boards. NCCU outrebounded Georgia 18-15 in the second half and finished just one rebound shy of the Bulldogs for the game, 37-36.
Closing in on 300: Now entering his 18th season at the helm of the Eagles, head coach LeVelle Moton is just eight wins away from reaching the 300-win milestone. Moton became NCCU's all-time winningest men's basketball coach during the 2023-24 season, surpassing Floyd Brown's previous record of 252 victories.
Schedule Snapshot: North Carolina Central will play a 30-game schedule this season, featuring 12 home contests and 18 road games. The Eagles' non-conference slate spans seven conferences and includes another SEC opponent, two Atlantic 10 programs, four Big South schools, and one team each from the Southern Conference, Conference USA, Big 12 and Missouri Valley Conference. Several of NCCU's opponents enter the season with national recognition. High Point (No. 2), Howard (No. 18) and Liberty (No. 21) are ranked in the preseason College Insider Mid-Major Poll. Iowa State also appears in both major preseason polls, checking in at No. 18 in the AP Poll and No. 14 in the Coaches Poll.
Miles & Matchups: NCCU will make five trips to Virginia during its non-conference schedule, including a three-game road swing with stops at Longwood, VMI and Liberty. The Eagles will also travel to the Midwest for a pair of games in Iowa. NCCU will first visit Drake before concluding its longest road trip of the season at Iowa State.
For more information on NCCU Athletics, visit NCCUEaglePride.com.
