LIVE AUDIO
ROCK HILL, SC—The Winthrop women's basketball team will look to bounce back after its loss last Saturday as it hits the road for a contest at North Carolina Central Thursday evening.
Winthrop will take on NCCU at 6 p.m., in just the second meeting all-time between the two schools.
It will be just the second road game of the season for the 1-4 Lady Eagles as they begin the first of two on the road Thursday evening.
North Carolina Central has the same record as Winthrop and is coming off three straight losses after visiting the island of Oahu for a holiday tournament Nov. 26-28. The Eagles played three straight days and haven't played since. The only win NCCU has on the season came against a Big South school when it defeated Presbyterian College 43-38 on Nov. 20 at McDougald-McLendon Gym.
Neither team has shot the ball well this year and struggle offensively. Winthrop is shooting 30 percent from the field and averaging 48.8 points in five games. NCCU is shooting 27 percent and scoring 50 points per game. Neither team has shot the ball well from behind the arc as Winthrop is 19-for-70 (27 percent) and NCCU is 13-for-63 (21 percent).
North Carolina Central has a veteran starting line-up with three seniors, a junior and a red-shirt sophomore. Winthrop's line-up is made up of three underclassmen, a red-shirt senior and a junior.
NCCU is led in scoring by red-shirt freshman Jori Nwachukwu at 14.1 points and she also leads the team in rebounding (9.8). She is averaging 3.0 rebounds a game on the offensive glass. She shoots 39 percent from the floor and is 21-for-29 at the line. Red-shirt sophomore Chasidy Williams is also averaging in double-figures at 10.6.
Senior Lacey Lyons continues to lead the Lady Eagles in scoring at 10.2 points per game while freshman Dequesha McClanahan is second with 8.8 ppg. McClanahan does lead the team in assists (21) and steals (13).
Winthrop won the only meeting between the two schools in a 57-39 victory in 2010. Chanel White scored a career-high 13 points to lead Winthrop. Strong defense helped Winthrop as it held NCCU to just 19 percent shooting from the floor. Jessica Fansler and Kaitlyn Rubino each added 10.
