The Savannah State Tigers (13-13) head to North Carolina Central to take on the Eagles (11-17) in what should be a low-scoring game. Action begins at 7:30 pm ET on Monday, Feb. 29.
The Eagles are hoping to rebound after their 69-61 loss to Bethune-Cookman on Saturday. Dante Holmes had a good outing, putting up 17 points, eight rebounds, and two assists for North Carolina Central. The Tigers, meanwhile, are coming off a 76-64 win against South Carolina State on Saturday. Troyce Manassa was the game’s top scorer, accounting for 21 points on 5-for-10 shooting.
Over the last five games, Holmes has taken his game to another level for the Eagles, averaging 21.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 0.8 steals, and 4.4 three-pointers.
This has potential to be a mistake-prone game for the offense of North Carolina Central, which ranks 266th in the nation in ball protection (TO% of 20.6%). The disruptive defense of Savannah State forces the 10th-most turnovers in the nation (22.7%).
This is the second game of the year between these two teams, with the Eagles winning the first matchup 69-46. Patrick Cole had a standout performance in the victory, putting up 30 points, seven rebounds, one assist, one steal, and two three-pointers.
Notes
The Savannah State Tigers have a defensive rating of 100.7 (ranked 100th), while the North Carolina Central Eagles have an offensive rating of 102.7 (ranked 240th).
Savannah State has an average field goal percentage of 40.3%. North Carolina Central is an underachieving 7-14 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The North Carolina Central Eagles rank higher based on their field goal percentage (226th) than their effective field goal percentage (243rd). The Savannah State Tigers rank higher based on their effective field goal percentage (311th) than their field goal percentage (322nd).
North Carolina Central ranks 61st in offensive rebounding. Savannah State ranks 333rd in defensive rebounding.
Savannah State averages a forced turnover rate of 22.7% this season, ranked 10th in the nation. North Carolina Central has a 5-4 record when it suffers a turnover rate equal to or exceeding this.
