NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL LADY EAGLES
Currently 0 - 0 (0-0 MEAC); Last year 9-21 (6-8), 0-1 MEAC Tournament
Massey 341 (UNC 18), Torvik 330 (UNC 13)
The NCCU Lady Eagles (the official name) are our opening regular season game Monday morning (11 AM Standard Time); it is theirs as well. Their NET ranking puts them squarely in the bottom tier of D1 programs. Carolina is 8-0 with NCCU, all games were in Chapel Hill. UNC’s average margin of victory is 48.6 ppg.
A note about eagles: there is no official designation for a female eagle. Usually “eagle” as a generic term refers to the Bald Eagle, a name derived from its white-feathered head. They are no longer an endangered species but are protected by a set of bristling federal laws. A permit is needed to keep a live eagle as a mascot. Otherwise, hunting or in any way “bothering” an eagle in the wild can earn a $100,000 fine and a second offense (a felony) fines up to $250,000, two years in the slam, and forfeiture of any weapons or vehicles used.
Note also that Native Americans are exempt from these laws as many tribes consider the eagle sacred.
Last season NCCU started the year 0-12, and some of those losses were brutal. For example: 44 points (52-96) at Georgia, 58 (33-91) at Clemson, 39 (36-75) at home with UT Chattanooga, 62 (57-119) at FSU, 76 (43-119) with UNC at Chapel Hill, 87 (44-131) at LSU, and 80 (59-139) at Tennessee.
Many of the smaller D1 schools do travel to early season games and often play D1 P4 teams as they will get paid, usually several thousand dollars, to show up. Taking 80-point losses, however, can’t be much fun for the players.
#11 AP UNC is favored by 50 points (Massey) and 45 by Torvik. Massey btw predicts UNC will be 23-8 on the season and 13-5 ACC, being swept by dook and losing road games to Notre Dame, Moo U, and FSU. Warren Nolan’s site does not appear to have 2026 numbers yet.
NCCU does return three experienced players from last year’s team, and they are predicted to finish fourth in the 8-team MEAC. Morgan Callahan, a 6-0 GS F, is basically a three-year starter and last year averaged 12.5 points and a team best 8.3 rebounds. Also
returning is Aysia Hinton, a 5-8 junior G who average 6.8 ppg. The stats show she likes the three: 53 of 164 for 32.3%. Shakira Foster, a 5-8 sophomore G (6.8 ppg) was All-MEAC Freshman Team. Dianna Blake, a 6-0 sophomore F, had 19 starts (3.3 ppg) and is better known as a rebounder and defender. Without any current information about this year, it will be assumed that these four will start on Monday.
The other starting assignment might go to Victoria Morris, a 5-9 sophomore G (3 starts in 2025). For whatever reason, her teammates call her “Stan”. Tierney Coleman, a 5-9 GS G (Sam Houston State) might also be a possibility. She averaged 6.6 ppg and while not a volume shooter is fairly accurate with the 3-ball: 34.3% on 12 of 35.
After these players, there are others who could make appearances, but it would be hard to predict who and when. There are three freshmen, and one of them is Aaliyah Grant, a 6-0 F who was All-State in Florida. She would likely play; the other two (Amaya Harris, a 5-7 G and Kendall Alexander, a 5-6 PG) perhaps will appear.
As would be true for virtually every team these days, there are a bunch of transfers. These include Tekeya Bland, a 6-1 sophomore F from Howard; Najah Lane, a 5-5 senior PG from Delaware State; Nia Young, a 6-0 redshirt senior G from Charlotte; Natalie Jasper, a 5-5 GS PG from Boston U and 6-5 GS C Madjiguene Pene who’s from Senegal but played for Shaw. Her size makes her interesting – but not her stats. Last season in 8 games at Shaw she scored a total of 12 points.
Then there’s Aniya Finger, a 5-11 GS F (originally at Winston-Salem State) who did start 10 of 21 games for NCCU back in 2023 and 4 more (of 15) in 2024. Last year, coming off IR she played not at all. When in games her numbers are good: 8 ppg and 7 rpg. We are told that she is related to Charlotte Smith. If Finger is healthy, one would think she would find a way to get on the floor.
Stats are worthless without data from the current year. It might be noted though that Callahan is the preseason POY in MEAC, and three other players are All-MEAC selections (Foster 2nd Team; Finger and Hinton 3rd Team).
The current head coach is Terrence Baxter, who was an assistant to Trisha Stafford-Odom before being promoted in 2023. This will be his third year as HC; his record so far is 25-36.
Keeping track of former Tar Heels, an assistant coach is Paris Kea, UNC ’19, who played three seasons for Carolina (1,637 career points) after transferring from Vanderbilt. Kea was 1st Team All-ACC as a senior. The last three years she was an assistant at Wake Forest.
Playing someone like NCCU does have its drawbacks. Carolina is expected to put a check mark in the “W” column. While I cannot conceive of a scenario where UNC would lose this game, there is still pressure to perform at the expected level. Back in December 2012, we won by 28 points (49-21) and that did provoke more than a little criticism, to say the least.
As a minimum, Carolina can continue to work on rotations and situational substitutions. Coach Banghart found a few issues in the S. Carolina exhibition that need attention – like closing out on 3-point shooters and closing down driving lanes. UNC has a brutal schedule, with games against #3 UCLA and #4 Texas in their non-conference package, plus Kansas State (28-8 last year), Ivy Champion Columbia (24-7), and Summitt Champion South Dakota State (30-4).
It is not known if Blanca Thomas or Reniya Kelly will play.
Game time is 11 AM EST. There will be video from ACCNX and audio from GoHeels with Matt Krause.
It is Field Trip Day so there will be lots of screaming youngsters. Admission is free.
Currently 0 - 0 (0-0 MEAC); Last year 9-21 (6-8), 0-1 MEAC Tournament
Massey 341 (UNC 18), Torvik 330 (UNC 13)
The NCCU Lady Eagles (the official name) are our opening regular season game Monday morning (11 AM Standard Time); it is theirs as well. Their NET ranking puts them squarely in the bottom tier of D1 programs. Carolina is 8-0 with NCCU, all games were in Chapel Hill. UNC’s average margin of victory is 48.6 ppg.
A note about eagles: there is no official designation for a female eagle. Usually “eagle” as a generic term refers to the Bald Eagle, a name derived from its white-feathered head. They are no longer an endangered species but are protected by a set of bristling federal laws. A permit is needed to keep a live eagle as a mascot. Otherwise, hunting or in any way “bothering” an eagle in the wild can earn a $100,000 fine and a second offense (a felony) fines up to $250,000, two years in the slam, and forfeiture of any weapons or vehicles used.
Note also that Native Americans are exempt from these laws as many tribes consider the eagle sacred.
Last season NCCU started the year 0-12, and some of those losses were brutal. For example: 44 points (52-96) at Georgia, 58 (33-91) at Clemson, 39 (36-75) at home with UT Chattanooga, 62 (57-119) at FSU, 76 (43-119) with UNC at Chapel Hill, 87 (44-131) at LSU, and 80 (59-139) at Tennessee.
Many of the smaller D1 schools do travel to early season games and often play D1 P4 teams as they will get paid, usually several thousand dollars, to show up. Taking 80-point losses, however, can’t be much fun for the players.
#11 AP UNC is favored by 50 points (Massey) and 45 by Torvik. Massey btw predicts UNC will be 23-8 on the season and 13-5 ACC, being swept by dook and losing road games to Notre Dame, Moo U, and FSU. Warren Nolan’s site does not appear to have 2026 numbers yet.
NCCU does return three experienced players from last year’s team, and they are predicted to finish fourth in the 8-team MEAC. Morgan Callahan, a 6-0 GS F, is basically a three-year starter and last year averaged 12.5 points and a team best 8.3 rebounds. Also
returning is Aysia Hinton, a 5-8 junior G who average 6.8 ppg. The stats show she likes the three: 53 of 164 for 32.3%. Shakira Foster, a 5-8 sophomore G (6.8 ppg) was All-MEAC Freshman Team. Dianna Blake, a 6-0 sophomore F, had 19 starts (3.3 ppg) and is better known as a rebounder and defender. Without any current information about this year, it will be assumed that these four will start on Monday.
The other starting assignment might go to Victoria Morris, a 5-9 sophomore G (3 starts in 2025). For whatever reason, her teammates call her “Stan”. Tierney Coleman, a 5-9 GS G (Sam Houston State) might also be a possibility. She averaged 6.6 ppg and while not a volume shooter is fairly accurate with the 3-ball: 34.3% on 12 of 35.
After these players, there are others who could make appearances, but it would be hard to predict who and when. There are three freshmen, and one of them is Aaliyah Grant, a 6-0 F who was All-State in Florida. She would likely play; the other two (Amaya Harris, a 5-7 G and Kendall Alexander, a 5-6 PG) perhaps will appear.
As would be true for virtually every team these days, there are a bunch of transfers. These include Tekeya Bland, a 6-1 sophomore F from Howard; Najah Lane, a 5-5 senior PG from Delaware State; Nia Young, a 6-0 redshirt senior G from Charlotte; Natalie Jasper, a 5-5 GS PG from Boston U and 6-5 GS C Madjiguene Pene who’s from Senegal but played for Shaw. Her size makes her interesting – but not her stats. Last season in 8 games at Shaw she scored a total of 12 points.
Then there’s Aniya Finger, a 5-11 GS F (originally at Winston-Salem State) who did start 10 of 21 games for NCCU back in 2023 and 4 more (of 15) in 2024. Last year, coming off IR she played not at all. When in games her numbers are good: 8 ppg and 7 rpg. We are told that she is related to Charlotte Smith. If Finger is healthy, one would think she would find a way to get on the floor.
Stats are worthless without data from the current year. It might be noted though that Callahan is the preseason POY in MEAC, and three other players are All-MEAC selections (Foster 2nd Team; Finger and Hinton 3rd Team).
The current head coach is Terrence Baxter, who was an assistant to Trisha Stafford-Odom before being promoted in 2023. This will be his third year as HC; his record so far is 25-36.
Keeping track of former Tar Heels, an assistant coach is Paris Kea, UNC ’19, who played three seasons for Carolina (1,637 career points) after transferring from Vanderbilt. Kea was 1st Team All-ACC as a senior. The last three years she was an assistant at Wake Forest.
Playing someone like NCCU does have its drawbacks. Carolina is expected to put a check mark in the “W” column. While I cannot conceive of a scenario where UNC would lose this game, there is still pressure to perform at the expected level. Back in December 2012, we won by 28 points (49-21) and that did provoke more than a little criticism, to say the least.
As a minimum, Carolina can continue to work on rotations and situational substitutions. Coach Banghart found a few issues in the S. Carolina exhibition that need attention – like closing out on 3-point shooters and closing down driving lanes. UNC has a brutal schedule, with games against #3 UCLA and #4 Texas in their non-conference package, plus Kansas State (28-8 last year), Ivy Champion Columbia (24-7), and Summitt Champion South Dakota State (30-4).
It is not known if Blanca Thomas or Reniya Kelly will play.
Game time is 11 AM EST. There will be video from ACCNX and audio from GoHeels with Matt Krause.
It is Field Trip Day so there will be lots of screaming youngsters. Admission is free.
