ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. – The Elizabeth City State University basketball teams return home after a nearly four-week absence from the R.L. Vaughan Center to face CIAA North Division rival Virginia State University. The Vikings will be hosting the first Sager Strong Day to raise cancer awareness in conjunction with the games and the games will be a part of the Good Guys vs. Cancer initiative that has been prevalent in northeastern North Carolina.
 
The Vikings come into the contest having been swept at Lincoln University on Wednesday evening. The women dropped a close matchup to the Lions, 60-57, after having led for the majority of the contest. The Vikings come into the tilt with the Trojans with a record of 12-8 overall, 4-5 in CIAA play and 1-1 in North Division contests. ECSU is being paced by junior Naterria Luster who averages 18.7 points per contest. Asia Deal, Jalyn Brown and Devona Stell supplement the scoring effort for the Vikings by posting double digit averages as well.
 
The men come into the weekend following a tough 76-66 loss at Lincoln on Wednesday. The Vikings were not able to overcome a strong second half showing from the Lions on both ends of the floor. ECSU comes into the Virginia State game with a 10-10 record overall, 6-3 in CIAA play and 0-2 in North Division contests. The game against the Trojans will be the first inside of the friendly confines of the R.L. Vaughan Center since December 17, marking 39 days in between home contests. ECSU has boasted a balanced scoring attack all season three players averaging in double figures with John Maynor leading the way with 11.9 points per game. Justin Faison and Shyheid Petteway also post double figures on a nightly basis for the Vikings.
 
The men's program at Virginia State comes to the Harbor of Hospitality on a 12 game winning streak. In their last outing the Trojans defeated visiting Chowan University by an 81-79 mark to push their conference record to a spotless 8-0 in CIAA play. The Trojans have posted a 16-3 mark overall and are 7-2 away from Petersburg. The women's team has had a little harder go of it in the 2018-2019 campaign having posted an 8-9 record overall, a 2-6 record in the CIAA and a 4-6 mark away from home and have dropped four in a row. In their last time out Virginia State dropped a 59-47 contest to visiting Chowan.
 
The games will mark the first Sager Strong Day at Elizabeth City State. The event will bring awareness to cancer as well as those fighting and having fought the disease. Fans are asked to wear their wackiest colored clothing to support the Vikings. The student body is also planning an event called Silent 7, which they ask all fans to stay completely silent until the seventh point is scored. After that point is scored a full on celebration will occur for 30 seconds and then the game will continue. There will be a 50/50 raffle and the Zeta Kappa Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority will be selling raffle tickets as well to support the American Cancer Society and Good Guys vs. Cancer.