MURFREESBORO, N.C. – The Chowan Men's Basketball team hosts a pair of contests to start off 2019 with the Hawks facing Shaw in CIAA action on Thursday and avenging their only loss of the season to West Virginia State on Sunday.

WHEN                  January 3 – 7:30pm | January 6 – 2:00pm

WHERE                Murfreesboro, N.C. (Helms Center)

FOLLOW              GAME DAY CENTRAL

HAWKS SOARING HIGH

Chowan comes into the New Year with an 8-1 overall record after falling short in the comeback bid against WVSU to end 2018.  CU is 2-0 in the CIAA so far this season and 7-0 at home.

Timothy Bing leads the Hawks with 17.4 points per game, while Demetrius Sanders is close behind at 16.6 points.  Gus Rowland is stuffing the stat sheet this season averaging 14.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 7.4 assists, and 2.2 steals a night.  Michael Kelly chips in with 12.0 points and 7.2 rebounds.

CAGING THE BEARS

Shaw is 5-5 on the season and 1-1 in the CIAA.  The Bears have lost three straight since upsetting nationally ranked Barton in overtime.

The Bears have the nation's leading scorer, Amir Hinton, averaging 34.3 points a game.  Hinton has not scored less than 24 points this season.  DeVaughn Kelsie and Davon Dillard are averaging 13 and 12 points respectively.

AVOIDING THE YELLOW JACKETS' STING

West Virginia State has won their last three contests to improve to 5-6 on the season with one of those wins coming against Chowan to round out 2018.

Pat Johnson-Agwu leads the team averaging 23.8 points a game.  The Yellow Jackets have five players in double-figures.

SERIES MEETINGS

The Hawks and Shaw will meet for the 13th time in the series with the Bears holding the slight advantage, 7-5.  Shaw picked up the 87-80 victory in last season's meeting in Raleigh.

Chowan and West Virginia State will meet for the second time this season and third time in the series with the Yellow Jackets taking the previous two meetings by a combined seven points.