Nccu and morgan state square off in meac title game

[Akillies]

GAME NOTES: NCCU AND MORGAN STATE SQUARE OFF IN MEAC TITLE GAME

Eagles have not won a tournament championship since 1950
Chris Hooks, Assistant Sports Information Director/Broadcast Media Coordinator
3/15/2014 3:25:00 AM
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2014 MEAC Basketball Tournament Championship Game

#3-Seed - Morgan State (15-15, 11-5 MEAC, 3-2 Neutral)
vs.
#1-Seed - NCCU (27-5, 15-1 MEAC, 2-0 Neutral)
March 15, 2014 - 6:00 p.m. (EST)

- Norfolk Scope Arena (10,253) - Norfolk, Va. -
TV/Video: ESPNU (Tom Hart- PxP, Stan Lewter- Color)
Audio: 99.9 HD3- The Ticket, NCCUEaglePride.com
Game Notes: Morgan State vs. NCCU (PDF)​

THE GAME
North Carolina Central University makes its first appearance in the MEAC Tournament Championship Game at the NCAA Division I level as the Eagles take on the third-seeded Bears of Morgan State, who are participating in their sixth title game in the last eight years. MSU has won three tournament titles in the program's history.

THE SERIES
-NCCU and Morgan State have a tradition-enriched rivalry that dates back to February of 1938. These two programs have met 86 previous times with the Eagles holding a 44-40 advantage over the Bears. Since returning to the MEAC, NCCU is 2-1 against Morgan State. Prior to the Jan. 23, 2012 matchup, these two teams hadn't met since Feb. 16, 1980.

1/27/14- vs. Morgan State- 53-52 W
1/28/13- vs. Morgan State- 69-61 W
1/23/12- at Morgan State- 71-64 L

NCCU SPORTS NETWORK
The NCCU Sports Network will hit the air at 5:30 p.m. for the Denny's of Durham Pregame Show on both 99.9 HD3- The Ticket and the NCCU Sports Network App. Play-by-play voice of the NCCU Sports Network Chris Hooks will call the action alongside guest color analyst Ronnie Enoch courtside from the Norfolk Scope Arena. Fans are encouraged to follow @NCCUAthletics on Twitter, use the hashtag #NCCUMBB, and send an e-mail to whooks@nccu.edu or nccusn@nccu.edu. The game will also be broadcast live on ESPNU as Tom Hart (Play-by-play) and Stan Lewter (Color) will also give fans wall-to-wall coverage of the 2014 MEAC Championship game.

SCOUTING REPORT: #3 SEED- MORGAN STATE
-The third-seeded Bears of Morgan State University have clinched their sixth title game appearance in the last eight years. MSU took down Florida A&M 81-68 on Thursday, March 14 behind first team All-MEAC member Justin Black's 29 points, nine rebounds as the 6-2, 220-pound senior shot 10-for-14 from-the-field. MSU's 7-2 center Ian Chiles added 15 points and six boards and the Bears silenced the high-powered attack of the sixth-seeded Rattlers of Florida A&M. On Friday night, Morgan dispatched crosstown foe Coppin State in convincing fashion, 79-64, advancing to Saturday's MEAC title game. Black was at it against going 4-for-9 (44.4%) from three-point range racking up 30 points as he has scored 59 points in two games to pace MSU.

-The Bears are led by eighth year head coach Todd Bozeman who has lifted Morgan State to the top of the heap in the MEAC compiling a 143-115 mark that includes an NIT (National Invitational Tournament) appearance in 2008 and two trips to the NCAA Tournament (2009 and 2010). Bozeman has a career record of 178-177 in 10 seasons as a head coach that includes his stint as the head coach at Cal.

-As a team, Morgan State is fourth in scoring offense (71.8 points per game), eighth in scoring defense (72.3 points per game), 13th in free throw percentage (61.0 percent), third in field goal percentage (43.0 percent), ninth in field goal percentage defense (43.4 percent), 13th in three-point field percentage (26.2 percent), eighth in three-point field goal percentage defense (35.1 percent), second in rebounding offense (38.8 boards per game), 10th in rebounding defense (37.9 boards per game), second in blocked shots (5.2 blocks per game), and third in assists (12.7 assists per game).

-Individually, the Bears are led by Black who is third in the MEAC averaging 20.3 points per game with Chiles ninth in the conference averaging 15.3 points per game. Chiles is 10th in rebounding (6.6 boards per game), fourth in field goal percentage (54.6 percent), and the leading shotblocker in the conference at 3.1 swats per game, while Black is 11th (45.6 percent) in that category. Black is also ninth in the conference in assists (2.8 assists per game), second in steals with 1.9 thefts per contest.

 

[Akillies]

SCOUTING NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL
N.C. Central, 27-5 overall, finished 15-1 in the MEAC and earned the number one seed. The Eagles, who rank No. 18 in the Mid-Major Top 25 Poll, advanced to the championship as a result of rolling No. 8 seed Howard, 92-46, in the quarterfinals round of the MEAC, followed by a 68-45 blowout against No. 4 seed Norfolk State Friday night in the semifinals. N.C. Central is on a 19-game winning streak and will attempt to make it 20 when they enter tonight's matchup with No. 3 seed Morgan State. The Eagles are vying for its first MEAC Tournament Championship and its first trip to the NCAA Tournament.

WE MEET AGAIN
The Morgan State Bears will square off against the Eagles for the 87th meeting between the two. N.C. Central holds a 46-40 advantage, and has gone 2-1 against the Bears since rejoining the MEAC.

THE PLAYERS TO WATCH
Senior guard Jeremy Ingram, an All-MEAC First Team selection, has fueled N.C. Central by averaging at 20.3 ppg this season, while junior Jordan Parks has added 10.3 ppg and standout senior point guard Emanuel Chapman has contributed 6.8 ppg, 6.5 apg and 2.1 spg. The Eagles are led on the glass by redshirt-junior Jay Copeland (5.9 rpg). Senior Justin Black enters tonight's contest averaging 19.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.8 apg while senior Ian Chiles is averaging 15.3 ppg, 6.6 rpg and 3.1 bpg, and senior Anthony Hubbard has added 10.8 ppg and 6.9 rpg.

THE ONLY MEETING THIS SEASON WAS AT N.C. CENTRAL, JAN. 27, 2014
DURHAM, N.C. – Jeremy Ingram posted a game-high 20 points, Maramu Jawara added 13 for N. C. Central. It all added up to the Eagles erasing a 13-point deficit to hold on and beat Morgan State 53-52 at McDougald-McLendon Gymnasium. Justin Black finished with 17 points for the Bears who came up short down the stretch for the second game in a row, having lost to N.C. A&T 68-67 in overtime.

The Bears tied the game at 52-52 when Donte Pretlow hit a jumper with 33 seconds to go. The Eagles came out of the timeout and worked the clock down before taking a shot that missed badly as the horn sounded. But the game was not over.

Morgan's Shaquille Duncan was called for a foul against Karamo Jawara on a loose ball rebound. The officials adjusted the clock to display 1 second remaining in the game. Jawara stepped up and hit the first free throw, and missed the second on purpose. The Bears had .4 seconds left on the clock, but Thair Heath's inbounds pass sailed past Chiles as time expired.

NEXT UP: If Morgan State wins, they will earn an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament. It would mark the Bears third appearance in the "Big Dance" in the last eight seasons.

 

[ThreeFreeThrows]

I can't wait to take the eagles. My local has no line as of now but as so as it comes out I'm taking these HOT eagles.

 

[Akillies]

note the score of gthe last meeting, 53 - 52, and the "interesting" ending. That coupled with central holding their last two opponents to 91 pts. combined .

 

[ThreeFreeThrows]

-10 is more than I would've thought this line would be considering they only beat Morgan by 1 earlier this year. I still hit the -10 and -5.5 first half. These NC Central Eagles are white hot. Shows too, Vegas knows they're hot. Plus throw in the fact they have never won this tourney, playing in the MEAC championship game, they will be playing high today while pouring their hearts out on the court.

Good Luck RX Friends!

 

[deryckp]

good luck to u - too many points for me

 

[LexingtonBrass]

Agreed. Small lean on 1st half play at -5

 

[Akillies]

-10 too much
should be a dogfight
central has lost to maryland, Wichita, cinncy, iupui, all on the road and all competitive
hope they win, and catch a ton of points in the first rd of the ncaa tourney, and unload

 

[Akillies]

both game and first half go under. Both by 1/2 pt.
central survives, hope they get kentucky or someone like that