DURHAM, N.C. – The Lady Eagles will play more home games this upcoming season and will visit a pair of Power Five programs to highlight the 2016-17 North Carolina Central University women’s basketball schedule that was announced on Friday.

NCCU has a full slate of 28 regular-season contests, including a dozen non-conference matches before jumping into its usual allotment of 16 conference games.

The Lady Eagles will begin play at home for a second straight year. They will entertain Pfeiffer University to start the campaign on Friday, Nov. 11.

NCCU has a more balanced schedule this season with six home and away games in non-conference play after playing nine of its 11 non-conference games on the road a year ago. The Lady Eagles will also host non-conference foes Johnson & Wales University, Wofford College, UNCG, Presbyterian College and USC Upstate.

The maroon and gray will play five road games before the New Year, which features back-to-back games at Power Five institutions in December. NCCU will fly out West Lafayette, Indiana, to play Purdue University on Saturday, Dec. 11 before making the quick 23-mile trip to Raleigh to battle North Carolina State University in the newly renovated Reynolds Coliseum on Wednesday, Dec. 14.

NCCU’s first three road games in November will be at Coastal Carolina University, Campbell University and Old Dominion University. The Lady Eagles will later return from the winter holiday break and conclude play in 2016 at Furman University on December 30.

After the calendar flips to the New Year and NCCU hosts USC Upstate – its seventh familiar non-conference foe from last season – on Jan. 3, the Lady Eagles will play its other 16 games in 2017 against conference opposition. All 16 MEAC tilts for the Lady Eagles will be the opening game of doubleheaders with the NCCU men’s program.

NCCU’s journey through league competition will feature home and away clashes with University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Delaware State University, Howard University and North Carolina A&T State University. The Lady Eagles will also host South Carolina State University, Florida A&M University, Bethune-Cookman University and Savannah State University. NCCU will only see Norfolk State University, Hampton University, Morgan State University and Coppin State University on the road.

Important dates for Eagle fans include NCCU’s two battles with archrival North Carolina A&T at home on Saturday, Jan. 28 and at the Aggies in its regular-season finale on Thursday, March 2. A trio of seniors will play their final games inside McDougald-McLendon Arena against the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats and Savannah State Tigers on Saturday and Monday, Feb. 25-27.

The 2016 MEAC Basketball Championships will once again be held at the Norfolk Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia, from Monday-Saturday, Mar. 6-11. All 13 teams in the league will qualify for the postseason tournament.