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2016-17 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL2016-17 SCHEDULE
3-16 Overall, 2-5 MEAC, 3-7 Home, 0-9 RoadNOVEMBER (1-4, 1-1 H, 0-3 R)11 .......... vs. PFEIFFER ................................. L, 47-5015 .......... at Coastal Carolina ........................ L, 50-6618 .......... vs. JOHNSON & WALES ............... W, 75-3822 .......... at Campbell ................................... L, 30-6127 .......... at Old Dominion ............................ L, 52-83DECEMBER (0-6, 0-3 H, 0-3 R)3 ............ vs. WOFFORD ................................ L, 54-6411 .......... at Purdue ....................................... L, 27-6114 .......... at North Carolina State ................. L, 33-8318 .......... vs. UNCG ....................................... L, 51-6420 .......... vs. PRESBYTERIAN ....................... L, 63-7230 .......... at Furman ...................................... L, 40-60JANUARY (2-4, 2-3 MEAC, 2-2 H, 0-2 R)3 ............ vs. USC UPSTATE .......................... L, 58-6810 .......... vs. DELAWARE STATE* ................ W, 68-6311 .......... vs. MD. EASTERN SHORE* .......... W, 68-5914 .......... at Norfolk State* ........................... L, 40-7116 .......... at Hampton* .................................. L, 36-6023 .......... vs. HOWARD* ................................ L, 50-7328 .......... vs. NORTH CAROLINA A&T* ......... L, 38-6230 .......... at Delaware State* ........................ L, 51-55FEBRUARY (0-0, 0-0 MEAC, 0-0 H, 0-0 R)4 ............ at Morgan State* ........................... 2:00 PM6 ............ at Coppin State* ............................ 5:30 PM11 .......... vs. SOUTH CAROLINA STATE* ...... 2:00 PM13 .......... vs. FLORIDA A&M* ........................ 5:30 PM18 .......... at Maryland Eastern Shore* ......... 2:00 PM20 .......... at Howard* .................................... 5:00 PM25 .......... vs. BETHUNE-COOKMAN* ............ 2:00 PM27 .......... vs. SAVANNAH STATE* .................. 5:30 PMMARCH (0-0, 0-0 MEAC, 0-0 H, 0-0 R, 0-0 N)2 ............ at North Carolina A&T* (DH) ........ 5:30 PM6-11 ...... 2017 MEAC Tournament ......................TBA The Scope, Norfolk, Va.
*Conference Games (MEAC) (The Scope, Norfolk, Va.)
WE ARE NCCU-Spell out or say the full name “North Carolina Central University” in first reference, afterwards using “NCCU” or “N.C. Central” is appropriate for ensuing references. The use of “UNC Central” or “UNCC” is not accurate and using “Central” as a reference is not preferred.
#NCCUWBBMBB Contact: Kevin BuczekEmail: [email protected]: (919) 428-8099
QUICK FACTS 2016-17 NCCU BASKETBALL ROSTERNo. Name Pos. Ht. Cl. Hometown/Last School 0 Rodneysha Martin G 5-5 So. Olive Branch, Miss./Horn Lake HS3 Chantal Thomas G 5-6 Sr. Philadelphia, Pa./Arizona Western College4 Paulina Afriyie F 5-11 Fr. Bronx, N.Y./Herbert H. Lehman HS10 Monique Whaley-Briggs G 5-8 Sr. Philadelphia, Pa./G.W. Carver HS11/1Jada Blow G 5-5 Fr. Chicago, Ill./Simeon Career Academy12 Dominique Adams G 5-7 So. Winston-Salem, N.C./R.J. Reynolds HS15 Jayla Calhoun G 5-10 So. Houston, Texas/Summer Creek HS20 Jazlin Taylor G 5-6 Fr. High Point, N.C./T. Wingate Andrews HS21 Erin Houser F 6-2 Fr. Orangeburg, S.C./Orangeburg-Wilkinson HS22 Deja McCain F 5-10 So. Charlotte, N.C./Ardrey Kell HS23 Morgan Jones G 5-9 Sr. Stockbridge, Ga./Woodland HS35 Kierona Morton F 6-1 Jr. Paterson, N.J./Passaic County Tech. Institute
Head Coach: Vanessa Taylor, Fifth Season (Tuskegee, 1991) Associate Head Coach: Kendra Eaton, Fifth Season (Western Carolina)Assistant Head Coach: Kyle Adams, First Season (Cheyney)Assistant Coach: Josh Cooperwood, First Season (Tennessee State)Director of Basketball Operations: Dexter JenkinsAthletic Trainer: Julie McNabb (Missouri Valley)
SCORING AVG/GAME 12th Morgan Jones 11.6REBOUNDING AVG/GAME T-18th Deja McCain 5.5FIELD GOAL PCT PCT N/AFREE THROW PCT PCT 1st Rodneysha Martin .865 15th Deja McCain .731STEALS AVG/GAME 7th Morgan Jones 1.9ASSISTS AVG/GAME N/A3-POINT FIELD GOALS AVG/GAME 8th Morgan Jones 1.6BLOCKED SHOTS AVG/GAME N/AMINUTES PLAYED AVG/GAME 1st Dominique Adams 36.1
DURHAM, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University women’s basketball team will continue its northern road swing with a pair of Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) contests in the Charm City against Morgan State University on Saturday and Coppin State University on Monday.
N.C. Central Women’s Basketball
The Lady Eagles have lost their last five games in league play, including their last game at Delaware State University, 55-51, on Monday. NCCU (3-16 Overall, 2-5 MEAC) is winless on the road this season.
Senior Morgan Jones, who has scored in double figures in 14 games, leads the Lady Eagles with 11.6 points per games. Jones is swishing 1.6 three-pointers per contest and is coming up with a team-high 1.9 steals per game.
NCCU’s next four leading scorers all average within one point of each other: soph-omore guard Dominique Adams sinks 6.5 points, grabs 4.8 rebounds per game and leads the MEAC playing over 36 minutes per game; sophomore forward Deja McCain tallies 6.3 points and a team-high 5.5 rebounds per game; sophomore guard Rodneysha Martin averages 5.9 points and leads the league with a .865 free-throw percentage; and freshman guard Jada Blow cans 5.6 points.
The Lady Eagles last played Morgan State in the 2016 MEAC Tournament and lost the first-round meeting by 10 points, 52-42. Senior Chantal Thomas, who leads NCCU with 1.8 assists per game, averaged nine points and 3.5 assists in two losses to the Bears last season.
NCCU was handed a 63-46 loss at Coppin State in 2016, with Martin having a solid performance with 12 points and seven rebounds in just 19 minutes played.
Morgan State Women’s Basketball
The Bears are the only winless team in the MEAC and are coming off a 61-26 home loss to Florida AM University on Monday. Morgan State (2-19 Overall, 0-8 MEAC) has lost 13 straight games.
Junior guard Braennan Farrar – a Second Team All-MEAC selection last season – leads the Bears with 12.3 points per game and 2.4 assists per game. Classmates Tykyrah Williams (10.1 ppg) and Zuri White (4.5 ppg) lead MSU with 5.6 and 5.5 rebounds per game, respectively.
Morgan State leads the MEAC with 11.2 steals per game with Farrar also pacing the pesky Bears with an average of 2.3 thefts.
White posted a pair of double-doubles in MSU’s two wins over NCCU last season. Farrar also chipped in 11.5 points as the Bears improved to 9-4 all-time against the Lady Eagles.
Coppin State Women’s Basketball
The Eagles went winless in non-conference play, but has since posted a .500 led-ger in their first eight league games. Coppin State (4-16 Overall, 4-4 MEAC), who is 3-2 at home, will visit University of Maryland Eastern Shore on Saturday before playing NCCU on Monday.
CSU advanced to the championship game of the MEAC Tournament in 2016 and has a talented veteran backcourt of senior Keena Samuels and junior Genesis Lucas. They both rank in the top-10 of the MEAC in scoring with Lucas netting 12.4 points and Samuels supplying 12.2 points. Samuels in a preseason all-conference honoree and Lucas also leads the Eagles with 4.2 assists and 2.4 steals per game, which ranks second and third in the league. Freshman center Chance Graham is fifth in the MEAC with 8.3 rebounds per game.
Lucas led Coppin State to its win over NCCU last season with nine points and 10 assists. Samuels scored a team-high 10 points in that contest as CSU moved to 8-2 all-time against NCCU.
Player of the Week Rookie of the Week Defensive Player of the WeekWEEK 1: Lauren Moss (SSU) Chance Graham (CSU) Tiyonda Davis (SSU)WEEK 2: NaJai Pollard (DSU) ERIN HOUSER (NCCU) Tiyonda Davis (SSU)WEEK 3: Malia Tate-DeFreitas (Hamp.) JADA BLOW (NCCU) Kailyn Williams (BCU)WEEK 4: J. Strode (NSU)/B. Blair (SCSU) Imani Bryant (How.) Kayla Roberts (NSU)WEEK 5: K. Lupoe (Hamp.)/T. Heslip (How.) Imani Bryant (How.) NaJai Pollard (DSU)WEEK 6: Ciani Byrom (MDES) No Award Winner Kayla Roberts (NSU)WEEK 7: Te’Shya Heslip (How.) Imani Bryant (How.) Imani Bryant (How.)WEEK 8: NaJai Pollard (DSU) Imani Bryant (How.) NaJai Pollard (DSU)WEEK 9: T. Heslip (How.)/G. Lucas (CSU) Chance Graham (CSU) K. Roberts (NSU)/K. Williams (BCU)
WEEK10: K. Samuels (CSU)/N. Pollard DSU) Chance Graham (CSU) T. Davis (SSU)/K. Ali (NSU)WEEK 11: N. Pollard (DSU)/K. Roberts (NSU) Ashley Bates (Ham.) Kaylah Lupoe (Ham.) WEEK 12: T. Davis (SSU)/S. Johnson (How.) Chance Graham (CSU) Tiyonda Davis (SSU)WEEK 13: WEEK 14: WEEK 15: WEEK 16: WEEK 17:
2016-17 NCCU GAME HIGHS/LOWS
STATISTICAL COMPARISON (AS OF 2/3/2017)
NCCU TEAM HIGH / LOW CATEGORY NCCU INDIVIDUAL HIGH CATEGORY75 (vs. Johnson & Wales) / 27 (at Purdue) .....................................................POINTS 28 (Jada Blow at Old Dominion) .......................................................POINTS24 (x2 last vs. Delaware St.) / 11 (x2 last at Hampton)................FIELD GOALS MADE 8 (Erin Houser vs. Johnson & Wales).........................................FIELD GOALS 45.5 (vs. MDES) / 21.4 (at NC State)....................................FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE 66.7 (6-9 Rodneysha Martin vs. MDES)................FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE (MIN. 5) 8 (vs. Presbyterian) / 0 (at Delaware St.)............................................3-PT. FG MADE 5 (Jada Blow at Old Dominion) .............................................3-PT. FG MADE 25 (vs. Johnson & Wales) / 1 (at Purdue)...................................FREE THROWS MADE 11 (Rodneysha Martin vs. MDES) .................................FREE THROWS MADE 60 (vs. Johnson & Wales) / 25 (vs. MDES) .................................................REBOUNDS 13 (Paulina Afriyie at Delware State) .........................................REBOUNDS 14 (vs. Delaware State) / 3 (at Hampton) ......................................................ASSISTS 6 (Chantal Thomas vs. Delaware State) ............................................ASSISTS14 (vs. Johnson & Wales) / 1 (at NC State)......................................................STEALS 5 (3 Times) .......................................................................................STEALS 5 (x2 last at Furman) / 0 (x4 last vs. MDES)....................................................BLOCKS 4 (Kierona Morton at Furman) .........................................................BLOCKS 36 (at Hampton) / 7 (vs. Wofford)...........................................................TURNOVERS 26 (vs. Pfeiffer) / 9 (at Purdue) ........................................................................FOULS
CATEGORY NCCU MSU CSUPoints Per Game 49.0 50.0 52.8Opponents Points Per Game 63.8 58.8 69.2Scoring Margin -14.8 -8.8 -16.4Field Goal Percentage 29.5% 30.0% 31.0%Field Goal Percentage 41.0% 44.3% 41.1%3-Point Field Goal Percentage 27.4% 23.7% 26.0%Opp. 3-Point Field Goal Percentage 28.8% 30.2% 30.1%Free Throw Percentage 67.2% 66.3% 62.6%Rebounds Per Game 38.2 35.3 37.5Opp. Rebounds Per Game 41.0 39.0 44.7Rebounding Margin -2.8 -3.7 -7.23-Pointers Per Game 3.6 3.6 4.2Opp. 3-Pointers Per Game 4.7 3.7 6.0Blocks Per Game 2.0 2.2 2.8Steals Per Game 7.8 11.2 8.6Assists Per Game 8.7 7.0 9.6Turnovers Per Game 19.4 15.7 18.4Opp. Turnovers Per Game 17.1 20.4 17.6
TEAM SCORINGNCCU scored 100+ points N/A An opponent scored 100+ points 103 at UNCG (12/31/15)NCCU scored 90+ points 95 vs. Fayetteville State (12/8/07) An opponent scored 90+ points 90 by (1/2) South Carolina (12/1/14)NCCU scored 80+ points 89 vs. Gardner-Webb (11/25/13) An opponent scored 80+ points 83 at NC State (12/14/16)
MARGIN OF VICTORYNCCU won by 50+ points N/A An opponent won by 50+ points 50, 83-33 at NC State (12/14/16)NCCU won by 40+ points N/A An opponent won by 40+ points 47, 103-56 at UNCG (12/31/15)NCCU won by 30+ points 37, 75-38 vs. Johnson & Wales (11/18/16) An opponent won by 30+ points 31, 71-40 at Norfolk State (1/14/17)
OVERTIMENCCU won in overtime 56-54 (OT) vs. South Carolina State (1/10/15)NCCU lost in overtime 66-60 (2-OT) vs. Bethune-Cookman (2/8/14)
RANKINGSNCCU defeated a ranked opponent N/ANCCU lost to a ranked opponent 70-25 vs. No. 20/22 Syracuse (12/14/14)
POINTSA NCCU player scored 40+ points N/A An opponent scored 40+ points N/AA NCCU player scored 30+ points 32 by Joanna Miller vs. UMES (1/7/10) An opponent scored 30+ points 30 by Malia Tate-DeFreitas from Hampton (1/19/15)
REBOUNDSA NCCU player had 20+ rebounds N/A An opponent had 20+ rebounds N/AA NCCU player had 15+ rebounds 16 by Racquel Davis vs. Coppin State (1/24/15) An opponent 15+ rebounds 15 by Kailyn Williams of Bethune-Cookman (2/14/15)
ASSISTSA NCCU player had 10+ assists 10 by LaVonna Hailey vs. Longwood (1/13/09) An opponent had 10+ assists 10 by Genesis Lucas from Coppin St. (2/18/16)
STEALSA NCCU player had 5+ steals 5 by Morgan Jones vs. Howard (1/23/17) An opponent had 5+ steals 9 by Georgianna Gilbeaux from Hampton (1/16/17)
BLOCKED SHOTSA NCCU player had 5+ blocks 5 by Tyshay Britten at Savannah State (1/11/16) An opponent had 5+ blocks 9 by Khalilah Ali from Norfolk St. (1/14/17)
LAST TIME IT HAPPENED... (SINCE D1 TRANSITION)
2016-17 MISCELLANEOUS STATS
Current Streak .................................................................................................................... Lost 5Current Home Streak .......................................................................................................... Lost 2Current Road/Neutral Streak .............................................................................................. Lost 6 Last Win ................................................................... Jan. 11 vs. Maryland Eastern Shore (68-59)Last Home Win ......................................................... Jan. 11 vs. Maryland Eastern Shore (68-59)Last Road Win ......................................................................... Feb. 8 at Johnson & Wales (68-58)Last Home Loss ................................................................ Jan. 28 vs. North Carolina A&T (62-38)Last Road Loss .........................................................................Jan. 30 at Delaware State (55-51)
2016-17 RECORD BY STARTING LINEUPMARTIN (G), JONES (G), ADAMS (G), CALHOUN (G), MCCAIN (F) .................................................................2-4WHALEY-BRIGGS (G), JONES (G), ADAMS (G), MCCAIN (F), MORTON (F) .....................................................1-4THOMAS (G), JONES (G), ADAMS (G), MCCAIN (F), MORTON (F) .................................................................0-2BLOW (G), JONES (G), ADAMS (G), MCCAIN (F), MORTON (F) ......................................................................0-2BLOW (G), JONES (G), ADAMS (G), MORTON (F), AFRIYIE (F) .......................................................................0-1BLOW (G), JONES (G), ADAMS (G), CALHOUN (G), MCCAIN (F) ....................................................................0-1BLOW (G), JONES (G), ADAMS (G), MCCAIN (F), AFRIYIE (F) ........................................................................0-1THOMAS (G), JONES (G), ADAMS (G), MORTON (F), HOUSER (F) ..................................................................0-1
Games As Leading ScorerMorgan Jones .......................................................................................................................... 11Jada Blow .................................................................................................................................. 3Rodneysha Martin ..................................................................................................................... 3Deja McCain ............................................................................................................................... 2Erin Houser ................................................................................................................................ 1
Game As Leading RebounderDeja McCain ............................................................................................................................... 7Paulina Afriyie ........................................................................................................................... 4Dominique Adams ..................................................................................................................... 3Kierona Morton ......................................................................................................................... 3Morgan Jones ............................................................................................................................ 2Jayla Calhoun ............................................................................................................................ 1Paulina Afriyie ........................................................................................................................... 1
Game As Leader in AssistsChantal Thomas ......................................................................................................................... 7Jada Blow .................................................................................................................................. 6Morgan Jones ............................................................................................................................ 5Rodneysha Martin ..................................................................................................................... 4Dominique Adams ..................................................................................................................... 3Monique Whaley-Briggs ............................................................................................................ 2
Game As Leader in BlocksKierona Morton ......................................................................................................................... 4Paulina Afriyie ........................................................................................................................... 4Erin Houser ................................................................................................................................ 3Deja McCain ............................................................................................................................... 3Dominique Adams ..................................................................................................................... 2Rodneysha Martin ..................................................................................................................... 2Jada Blow .................................................................................................................................. 1
Game As Leader in StealsMorgan Jones .......................................................................................................................... 10Deja McCain ............................................................................................................................... 6Dominique Adams ..................................................................................................................... 5Jada Blow .................................................................................................................................. 3Rodneysha Martin ..................................................................................................................... 3Paulina Afriyie ........................................................................................................................... 2Erin Houser ................................................................................................................................ 2Chantal Thomas ......................................................................................................................... 1Kierona Morton ......................................................................................................................... 1Monique Whaley-Briggs ............................................................................................................ 1Jayla Calhoun ............................................................................................................................ 1
20-Plus Point GamesJada Blow .................................................................................................................................. 1Rodneysha Martin ..................................................................................................................... 1
Double-Figure Scoring GamesMorgan Jones .......................................................................................................................... 14Dominique Adams ..................................................................................................................... 6Rodneysha Martin ..................................................................................................................... 3Deja McCain ............................................................................................................................... 3Jada Blow .................................................................................................................................. 3Erin Houser ................................................................................................................................ 1Chantal Thomas ......................................................................................................................... 1
2016-17 Career21 - Erin Houser (16 Games, 1 Start)Pts 19 vs. Johnson & Wales (11/18/16) ..................................... Same3-Ptr 2 at Coastal Carolina (11/15/16) .......................................... SameRebs 6 at Furman (12/30/16) ........................................................ SameAssists 1 (x2) last vs. MDES (1/11/17) ............................................. SameBlocks 2 at Hampton (1/16/17) ....................................................... SameSteals 2 vs. Pfeiffer (11/11/16) ....................................................... Same
22 - Deja McCain (19 Games, 17 Starts)Pts 14 at Norfolk State (1/14/17) ............................................... Same3-Ptr N/A ....................................................................................... SameRebs 10 vs. Delaware St. (1/10/17) .....11 at Johnson & Wales (2/8/16)Assists 2 (x3) last vs. Howard (1/23/17) ........ 2 (x4) last vs. Howard (1/23/17)
Blocks 2 at Coastal Carolina (11/15/16) .......................................... SameSteals 5 vs. MDES (1/11/17) ........................................................... Same
23 - Morgan Jones (19 Games, 19 Starts)Pts 18 at Coastal Carolina (11/15/16)......... 25 vs. Norfolk State (1/16/16)
3-Ptr 4 at Coastal Carolina (11/15/16) ........ 6 vs. South Carolina State (1/10/15)
Rebs 9 at Coastal Carolina (11/15/16) .......................................... SameAssists 4 (x3) last vs. Presbyterian (12/20/16)..6 vs. Winthrop (11/25/14)Blocks N/A ..................................2 (x2) last vs. Savannah State (2/29/16)Steals 5 (x2) last vs. Howard (1/23/17) ...................................... Same
35 - Kierona Morton (19 Games, 11 Starts)Pts 8 (x3) last at Delaware St. (1/30/17) ......10 vs. Savannah St. (2/29/16)
3-Ptr N/A ....................................................................................... SameRebs 10 vs. Delaware St. (1/10/17) ......... 11 at Norfolk State (1/17/15)Assists 1 (x4) last at Delaware St. (1/30/17).......2 at Md. Eastern Shore (12/6/14)
Blocks 4 at Furman (12/30/16) .............. 4 (x2) last at Furman (12/30/16)Steals 2 at Old Dominion (11/27/16) ............................. 2 (x3) last Same
2016-17 Career0 - Rodneysha Martin (16 Games, 6 Starts)Points 25 vs. MDES (1/11/17) ......................................................... Same3-Ptr 3 vs. Presbyterian (12/20/16) .............................................. SameRebs 4 vs. Delaware St. (1/10/17) .............. 7 at Coppin State (2/18/16)Assists 4 at NC State (12/14/16) ...................................................... SameBlocks 2 vs. Presbyterian (12/20/16) .............................................. SameSteals 2 (x2) last vs. USC Upstate (1/3/17) ............ 3 at UNCG (12/31/15)
3 - Chantal Thomas (19 Games, 3 Starts)Pts 12 vs. USC Upstate (1/3/17) ............... 13 at Longwood (11/24/15)3-Ptr N/A ...........................................................1 at Charlotte (12/2/15)Rebs 7 vs. JWU (11/18/16) ...7 (x2) last vs. Johnson & Wales (11/18/16)Assists 6 vs. Delaware St. (1/10/17) .........7 vs. Savannah State (2/29/16)Blocks 1 vs. UNCG (12/18/16) ................. 1 (x2) last vs. UNCG (12/18/16)Steals 2 (x3) last at Delaware St. (1/30/17).... 4 at Morgan State (2/20/16)
4 - Paulina Afriyie (18 Games, 2 Starts)Pts 6 at Delaware State (1/30/17) .............................................. Same3-Ptr N/A ....................................................................................... SameRebs 13 at Delaware State (1/30/17) ............................................ SameAssists 1 (x2) last vs. Howard (1/23/17) ........................................... SameBlocks 2 vs. North Carolina A&T (1/28/17) ..................................... SameSteals 2 vs. Presbyterian (12/20/16) .............................................. Same
10 - Monique Whaley-Briggs (14 Games, 5 Starts)Pts 2 (x3) last vs. UNCG (12/18/16) ......... 12 at Longwood (11/24/15)3-Ptr N/A ......................................2 (x2) last at USC Upstate (12/19/15)Rebs 3 vs. Johnson & Wales (11/18/16) ...........5 at Charlotte (12/2/15)Assists 4 (x2) last vs. Wofford (12/3/16) ........................................... SameBlocks N/A .................................. 1 (x2) last at Gardner-Webb (11/22/14)Steals 2 at Purdue (12/11/16) ...............................2 (x4) last at Purdue (12/11/16)
11 - Jada Blow (18 Games, 5 Starts)Pts 28 at Old Dominion (11/27/16) ............................................ Same3-Ptr 5 at Old Dominion (11/27/16) .............................................. SameRebs 6 vs. Pfeiffer (11/11/16) ....................................................... SameAssists 4 (x2) last vs. Wofford (12/3/16) ........................................... SameBlocks 1 vs. Wofford (12/3/16) ......................................................... SameSteals 4 vs. Pfeiffer (11/11/16) ....................................................... Same
12 - Dominique Adams (19 Games, 19 Starts)Pts 13 vs. MDES (1/11/17) ........................... 14 vs. Delaware St. (1/27/16)
3-Ptr 3 vs. USC Upstate (1/3/17) ......................................................... Same
Rebs 8 (x2) last at Delaware St. (1/30/17) .... 10 at Winthrop (11/28/15)Assists 3 at Furman (12/30/16) ...................... 3 (x5) last at Furman (2/30/16)
Blocks 1 (x4) last vs. Delaware St. (1/10/17) ....................1 (x8) last SameSteals 4 vs. Johnson & Wales (11/18/16) ....................................... Same
15 - Jayla Calhoun (16 Games, 7 Starts)Pts 6 vs. Presbyterian (12/20/16) .......... 8 at USC Upstate (12/19/15)3-Ptr 1 vs. Presbyterian (12/20/16) .............................................. SameRebs 9 vs. UNCG (12/18/16) ............................................................ SameAssists 1 (x3) last vs. Delaware St. (1/10/17).................. 1 (x8) last SameBlocks 1 (x2) last vs. Presbyterian (12/20/16).............2 at BCU (2/27/16)Steals 2 vs. UNCG (12/18/16) ............................................................ Same
Season PreviewDURHAM, N.C. – North Carolina Central University returns nine players and has added four versatile freshman with expectations of being a more dynamic program in head coach Vanessa Taylor’s fifth season in 2016-17.
“We will be a little bit more up-tempo this year,” Taylor said. “We will try and show a little bit more pressure.”
The Lady Eagles had a 5-23 overall record last season, in-cluding a 3-13 mark in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC).
“Every team comes into the year with the same goal to win your conference,” stated Taylor. “We are growing as a program, but that is still a goal. As we continue to build and get better as a program, we are going to make sure to put ourselves into a position to become a contender. We feel like this year’s team will be able to improve overall both offensively and defensively as we become a little bit more mobile.”
Senior guard Morgan Jones is NCCU’s top returning scorer from a year ago, averaging 10.4 points per game. She led the Lady Eagles with 1.7 steals, 1.4 made 3-pointers and 30.6 min-utes played per contest.
“Morgan Jones is one of the faces of this program,” com-mented Taylor. “She is just a stellar student-athlete and I am very excited to see how her senior year unfolds. She worked extremely hard this summer to improve her scoring off the bounce. She have been very vocal early on in terms of leader-ship.”
NCCU used a variety of starting lineups last season and re-turns four other players who started at least 10 games a year ago, including two other seniors in guards Monique-Whaley Briggs and Chantel Thomas.
Taylor believes Whaley-Briggs (18 starts) will play a bigger role with the team this season as she brings more offensive ex-citement to her game to go along with her leadership role and commitment to the program as a fifth-year student-athlete. Thomas (11 starts), a transfer last season, became a consis-tent starter late last season and averaged a team-high 2.2 assists per game. Taylor looks for Thomas to hit the mid-range jumper more after working on her floater this summer.
The maroon and gray also returns three of its top five rebound-ers in junior Kierona Morton (4.1 rpg), sophomore Dominique Adams (3.8) and sophomore Deja McCain (3.6). Sophomore forward Brianna Best also adds depth to the Lady Eagles post after walking onto the team last year.
Adams started 10 games as a rookie and played the second most minutes behind Jones at 27.9 minutes. Her hard play makes her an effective player and she has been working on her stroke as well. Taylor believes she will do well with her level of confidence.
Morton started 26 games in 2015-16, but the key for her will be to stay healthy as she is working hard on rehab this offseason. Morton is a strong defender for the Lady Eagles both in the post and as a rebounder and will once again be a staple on the court.
McCain did not start a game as a freshman last year, but she did play in every contest as one of NCCU’s primary defensive stopper in the post. She is working on running the court better, which should lead to her ability to score some more easy buckets around the rim, while still being vocal and active on defense.
Two other sophomore guards return to the maroon and gray after playing in majority of the squads’ games as rookies last season in Rodneysha Martin and Jayla Calhoun. Martin strokes the ball well from the three-point line, but also can shoot from the mid-range. She packs the punch with cat-like quickness and quick hands on defense. Calhoun is long and has the ability to play between the 3 and the 4 positions and can score both on the inside and on the outside.
Taylor added a quartet of freshman in guards Jada Blow and Jazlin Taylor and forwards Erin Houser and Paulina Afriyie.
“We are really excited about our freshman class,” Taylor said. “As a group, they will definitely help us on the offensive side of the ball. We struggled last year to score points in bunches and we think these young ladies will help us have better offensive flow and put more points up on the board. As we play more up-tempo this year they will give us more depth as most of them can play multiple positions.”
The bakers dozen will be coached by Taylor and returning associate head coach Kendra Eaton and director of basketball operations Dexter Jenkins. Taylor added assistant head coach Kyle Adams and assistant coach Josh Cooperwood over the summer.
“The two things that stand out very early on with this team is that they are very hard working and that they have a natural chemistry. They are working daily on how to play together, be great teammates and fight together,” concluded Taylor.
THE TAYLOR FILEHometown: Moutltrie, Ga. Alma Mater: Tuskegee, 1991
Head Coaching Experience
Career1994-PresentRecord: 326-315 (.509)
North Carolina Central2012 - PresentRecord: 28-108 (.206)
Johnson C. Smith2001-12 Record: 215-112 (.657)
Elizabeth City State1994-2001Record: 83-95 (.466)
COACHING HONORS• Earned 300th career win March 2, 2013 over Savannah St. (33-29) • 2012 CIAA Tournament Runner-Up• 2011 CIAA Coach of the Year• 2011 CIAA Tournament Runner-Up• 2011 CIAA Southern Division Champions• 2011 NCAA South Atlantic Region Runner-Up• 2011 Best Record in School History (26-5)• 2009 CIAA Tournament Champions• 2008 CIAA Tournament Runner-Up• 2006 CIAA Tournament Runner-Up• 2006 CIAA Western Champions• 2006 Inducted into High School Hall of Fame (Colquitt County High School)• 2003 CIAA Tournament Runner-Up• 2000 CIAA Coach of Year• Five NCAA Division II playoff appearances (2006, 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2012)
With a reputation of winning and 19 previous years of head coaching experience, Vanessa Taylor was announced as the eighth head women’s basketball coach at North Carolina Central University on April 18, 2012.
Taylor hung up her blue and gold for maroon and gray after 11 seasons as head coach at Johnson C. Smith University and seven seasons as head coach at Elizabeth City State University. During that time, her teams posted 14 consecutive winning seasons, including six campaigns with 20-plus victories. She was selected as the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Coach of the Year on three occasions (1998, 2000, 2011).
She guided JCSU to its first CIAA tournament title in 2009, while finishing as conference tournament runners-up on five occasions (2003, 2006, 2008, 2011 and 2012). Under Taylor’s leadership, the Golden Bulls made five NCAA tournament appearances (2006, 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2012) and garnered top 25 national rankings in four seasons (2004-05, 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12).
Taylor is the all-time winningest women’s basketball coach at JCSU with a school record of 215-112 and career record of 298-207.
During the 2011-12 campaign, the Moutltrie, Georgia, native finished with an overall record of 22-7 and 14-2 in the conference. Prior to the Golden Bulls NCAA tournament appearance, the squad was ranked No. 2 among Division II schools in the Atlantic Region.
Along with the team’s accomplishments, Taylor was selected as the CIAA Conference Head Coach of the Week on five separate occasions throughout the 2011-12 season. No other coach in the
conference has earned more than one weekly honor that season.
At the conclusion of her 10th season at JSCU (2010-11), Taylor’s squad was named among the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Top 25 poll at No. 22 on her career-best 26-5 season. On the season, the Golden Bulls were listed in the top 25 in five separate weeks. In the fourth NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional tournament appearance, JCSU defeated Glenville State (74-69) in the quarterfinals to mark the first ever regional tournament win for the Golden Bulls’ program.
Prior to joining the JCSU program, Taylor tallied seven seasons as the head coach at Elizabeth City State (1994-2001) and two seasons as an assistant coach at Hampton University (1992-94).
Under her direction at ECSU, the Lady Vikings won the regular-season Eastern Division championship in 2000 and 2001. She was selected as the 1998 and 2000 CIAA Coach of the Year with the Lady Vikings.
In her two seasons at Hampton, Taylor helped guide the Lady Pirates to the 1994 CIAA Tournament Championship and a regional playoff appearance.
She is the daughter of Joe Van Taylor and the late Mattie Taylor, a former high school coach for 30-plus years, whom she credits everything she has learned.
TEAM STATISTICS NCCUW OPPSCORING 931 1213 Points per game 49.0 63.8 Scoring margin -14.8 -FIELD GOALS-ATT 312-1058 449-1095 Field goal pct . 2 9 5 . 4 1 03 POINT FG-ATT 69-252 90-313 3-point FG pct . 2 7 4 . 2 8 8 3-pt FG made per game 3.6 4.7FREE THROWS-ATT 238-354 225-361 Free throw pct . 6 7 2 . 6 2 3 F-Throws made per game 12.5 11.8REBOUNDS 725 779 Rebounds per game 38.2 41.0 Rebounding margin -2.8 -ASSISTS 165 264 Assists per game 8.7 13.9TURNOVERS 368 324 Turnovers per game 19.4 17.1 Turnover margin -2.3 - Assist/turnover ratio 0.4 0.8STEALS 148 155 Steals per game 7.8 8.2BLOCKS 38 88 Blocks per game 2.0 4.6ATTENDANCE 7079 11876 Home games-Avg/Game 10-708 9-1320 Neutral site-Avg/Game - 0-0
Score by Periods 1st 2nd 3rd 4th TotalsN.C. Central 204 221 226 280 931Opponents 315 264 292 342 1213
Date Opponent Score Att.11/11/16 PFEIFFER L 47-50 31711/15/16 at Coastal Carolina L 50-66 30411/18/16 JOHNSON & WALES W 75-38 50311/22/16 at Campbell L 30-61 61111/27/16 at Old Dominion L 52-83 76912/03/16 WOFFORD L 54-64 41712/11/16 at Purdue L 27-61 542812/14/16 at NC State L 33-83 194712/18/16 UNCG L 51-64 21712/20/16 PRESBYTERIAN L 63-72 16712/30/16 at Furman L 40-60 31801/03/17 USC UPSTATE L 58-68 277
* 01/10/17 DELAWARE STATE W 68-63 417* 01/11/17 MD. EASTERN SHORE W 68-59 648* 01/14/17 at Norfolk State L 40-71 578* 01/16/17 at Hampton L 36-60 1532* 01/23/17 HOWARD L 50-73 1107* 01/28/17 NORTH CAROLINA A&T L 38-62 3009* 01/30/17 at Delaware State L 51-55 389
North Carolina Central UniversityN.C. Central Season Schedule/Results & Leaders (as of Jan 30, 2017)
All games
RECORD: OVERALL HOME AWAY NEUTRALALL GAMES 3-16 3-7 0-9 0-0CONFERENCE 2-5 2-2 0-3 0-0NON-CONFERENCE 1-11 1-5 0-6 0-0
Date Opponent Score Att. High Points High Rebounds11/11/16 PFEIFFER 47-50 L 317 (15)BLOW,Jada (8)AFRIYIE,Paulina11/15/16 at Coastal Carolina 50-66 L 304 (18)JONES,Morgan (9)JONES,Morgan11/18/16 JOHNSON & WALES W 75-38 503 (19)HOUSER,Erin (8)ADAMS,Dominique11/22/16 at Campbell 30-61 L 611 (7)BLOW,Jada (6)AFRIYIE,Paulina11/27/16 at Old Dominion 52-83 L 769 (28)BLOW,Jada (7)ADAMS,Dominique12/03/16 WOFFORD 54-64 L 417 (13)MCCAIN,Deja (8)MCCAIN,Deja12/11/16 at Purdue 27-61 L 5428 (7)MARTIN,Rodneysha (5)ADAMS,Dominique
(7)JONES,Morgan12/14/16 at NC State 33-83 L 1947 (10)JONES,Morgan (5)MORTON,Kierona12/18/16 UNCG 51-64 L 217 (13)JONES,Morgan (9)CALHOUN,Jayla12/20/16 PRESBYTERIAN 63-72 L 167 (16)MARTIN,Rodneysha (7)MCCAIN,Deja12/30/16 at Furman 40-60 L 318 (13)JONES,Morgan (7)MORTON,Kierona01/03/17 USC UPSTATE 58-68 L 277 (13)JONES,Morgan (9)MCCAIN,Deja01/10/17 *DELAWARE STATE W 68-63 417 (17)JONES,Morgan (10)MCCAIN,Deja
(10)MORTON,Kierona01/11/17 *MD. EASTERN SHORE W 68-59 648 (25)MARTIN,Rodneysha (7)MCCAIN,Deja01/14/17 *at Norfolk State 40-71 L 578 (14)MCCAIN,Deja (6)MCCAIN,Deja01/16/17 *at Hampton 36-60 L 1532 (14)JONES,Morgan (6)AFRIYIE,Paulina
(6)JONES,Morgan01/23/17 *HOWARD 50-73 L 1107 (16)JONES,Morgan (12)AFRIYIE,Paulina01/28/17 *NORTH CAROLINA A&T 38-62 L 3009 (9)JONES,Morgan (8)MCCAIN,Deja01/30/17 *at Delaware State 51-55 L 389 (12)JONES,Morgan (13)AFRIYIE,Paulina
North Carolina Central UniversityN.C. Central Game-by-Game Highs (as of Jan 30, 2017)
All games
Opponent Date Score Points Rebounds Assists Steals Blocked shotsPFEIFFER 11/11/16 47-50 15-BLOW,Jada 8 - A F R I Y I E , P a u l i n a 3 - T H O M A S , C h a n t a l 4 - B L O W , J a d a 1 - H O U S E R , E r i nat Coastal Carolina 11/15/16 50-66 18-JONES,Morgan 9 - J O N E S , M o r g a n 3 - M A R T I N , R o d n e y s h 2 - M C C A I N , D e j a 2 - M C C A I N , D e j a
B L O W , J a d a B L O W , J a d a M A R T I N , R o d n e y s h a
JOHNSON & WALES 11/18/16 75-38 19-HOUSER,Erin 8 - A D A M S , D o m i n i q u e 4 - W H A L E Y - B R I G G S , 4 - A D A M S , D o m i n i q u e 1 - A D A M S , D o m i n i q u eat Campbell 11/22/16 30-61 7 - B L O W , J a d a 6 - A F R I Y I E , P a u l i n a 2 - B L O W , J a d a 1 - T H O M A S , C h a n t a l None
A F R I Y I E , P a u l i n a J O N E S , M o r g a n H O U S E R , E r i n M C C A I N , D e j a A D A M S , D o m i n i q u e
at Old Dominion 11/27/16 52-83 28-BLOW,Jada 7 - A D A M S , D o m i n i q u e 4 - B L O W , J a d a 2 - M O R T O N , K i e r o n a None B L O W , J a d a
WOFFORD 12/03/16 54-64 13-MCCAIN,Deja 8 - M C C A I N , D e j a 4 - J O N E S , M o r g a n 2 - J O N E S , M o r g a n 1 - B L O W , J a d a W H A L E Y - B R I G G S , H O U S E R , E r i n B L O W , J a d a
at Purdue 12/11/16 27-61 7 - J O N E S , M o r g a n 5 - A D A M S , D o m i n i q u e 4 - T H O M A S , C h a n t a l 2 - A D A M S , D o m i n i q u e None M A R T I N , R o d n e y s h a W H A L E Y - B R I G G S ,
at NC State 12/14/16 33-83 10-JONES,Morgan 5 - M O R T O N , K i e r o n a 4 - M A R T I N , R o d n e y s h 1 - J O N E S , M o r g a n 1 - A F R I Y I E , P a u l i n a M A R T I N , R o d n e y s h a M O R T O N , K i e r o n a
UNCG 12/18/16 51-64 13-JONES,Morgan 9 - C A L H O U N , J a y l a 4 - J O N E S , M o r g a n 2 - C A L H O U N , J a y l a 2 - M O R T O N , K i e r o n aPRESBYTERIAN 12/20/16 63-72 16-MARTIN,Rodneysh 7 - M C C A I N , D e j a 4 - J O N E S , M o r g a n 2 - A F R I Y I E , P a u l i n a 2 - M A R T I N , R o d n e y s h
J O N E S , M o r g a nat Furman 12/30/16 40-60 13-JONES,Morgan 7 - M O R T O N , K i e r o n a 3 - A D A M S , D o m i n i q u e 1 - H O U S E R , E r i n 4 - M O R T O N , K i e r o n a
J O N E S , M o r g a nUSC UPSTATE 01/03/17 58-68 13-JONES,Morgan 9 - M C C A I N , D e j a 3 - M A R T I N , R o d n e y s h 2 - A D A M S , D o m i n i q u e 2 - M O R T O N , K i e r o n a
T H O M A S , C h a n t a l J O N E S , M o r g a n M A R T I N , R o d n e y s h a
DELAWARE STATE 01/10/17 68-63 17-JONES,Morgan 10-MORTON,Kierona 6 - T H O M A S , C h a n t a l 2 - J O N E S , M o r g a n 1 - A D A M S , D o m i n i q u e M C C A I N , D e j a M C C A I N , D e j a
MD. EASTERN SHORE 01/11/17 68-59 25-MARTIN,Rodneysh 7 - M C C A I N , D e j a 5 - T H O M A S , C h a n t a l 5 - M C C A I N , D e j a Noneat Norfolk State 01/14/17 40-71 14-MCCAIN,Deja 6 - M C C A I N , D e j a 2 - J O N E S , M o r g a n 3 - J O N E S , M o r g a n 1 - M C C A I N , D e j aat Hampton 01/16/17 36-60 14-JONES,Morgan 6 - J O N E S , M o r g a n 1 - T H O M A S , C h a n t a l 5 - J O N E S , M o r g a n 2 - H O U S E R , E r i n
A F R I Y I E , P a u l i n a M A R T I N , R o d n e y s h a B L O W , J a d a
HOWARD 01/23/17 50-73 16-JONES,Morgan 12-AFRIYIE,Paulina 3 - B L O W , J a d a 5 - J O N E S , M o r g a n 1 - M C C A I N , D e j a A F R I Y I E , P a u l i n a
NORTH CAROLINA A&T 01/28/17 38-62 9 - J O N E S , M o r g a n 8 - M C C A I N , D e j a 3 - T H O M A S , C h a n t a l 2 - A D A M S , D o m i n i q u e 2 - A F R I Y I E , P a u l i n a M C C A I N , D e j a
at Delaware State 01/30/17 51-55 12-JONES,Morgan 13-AFRIYIE,Paulina 2 - A D A M S , D o m i n i q u e 3 - M C C A I N , D e j a 1 - A F R I Y I E , P a u l i n a J O N E S , M o r g a n J O N E S , M o r g a n