GAME NOTES: The first round of the National Invitational Tournament goes through Coral Gables when the seventh-seeded NC Central Eagles take on the second-seeded Miami-Florida Hurricanes at the BankUnited Center.

The winner of this clash advances to the second round of the NIT, and will take on the winner of Illinois and Alabama.

NC Central, which earned the top seed in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference during the regular season, was taken down early by Delaware State in the league tournament, 63-57, ending the Eagles' nine-game win streak. This is NC Central's first NIT appearance.

Miami is no stranger to the NIT, however. The Hurricanes have made 12 appearances in the tournament, the last coming in 2012, owning a 7-11 all-time NIT record. The 'Canes bowed out of the ACC Tournament in the quarterfinals after losing to eventual league champion Notre Dame, 70-63.

NC Central and Miami have met three times in history, with the Hurricanes owning all three head-to-head decisions.

This NC Central team made program history by becoming the first to finish the regular season unbeaten in conference play at 16-0, which made the loss to Delaware State in the MEAC Tournament that much more heartbreaking. Consider also that the Eagles took a 32-23 lead into halftime over the Hornets, but NC Central fell to 39.1 percent shooting in the latter half with a 1-of-8 mark from 3-point distance to allow Delaware State to make to comeback. Nimrod Hilliard netted 17 points to pace the Eagles in the defeat, while Jordan Parks (14 points, 10 rebounds) and Dante Holmes (11 points, 10 rebounds) each tallied a double-double. Anthony McDonald added 13 points as well.

The Eagles head into the NIT led by Parks in the scoring department. The senior forward averages 15.3 ppg and a team-best 8.3 rpg, and is connecting on an impressive 65.3 percent of his shot attempts. McDonald (13.1 ppg), Hilliard (11.8 ppg) and Holmes (10.5 ppg) round out a group of double-digit scorers for NC Central - a team that owns a +15.4 ppg scoring margin. The Eagles are netting 69.0 ppg on 48.6 percent shooting, while surrendering 54.6 ppg to the opposition.

Perhaps Miami has a bit of a gripe with the NCAA Tournament selection committee for not receiving an at-large bid to the big dance, but there's not much the Hurricanes can do now. They were downed by Notre Dame in the ACC Tournament in a seven-point loss, though the 'Canes battled back valiantly from a larger halftime deficit. Miami found itself trailing 43-25 at the intermission, but held the offensively gifted Irish to just 31.6 percent shooting in the second period to make somewhat of a comeback. Angel Rodriguez netted 15 points to lead the 'Canes, while Tonye Jekiri notched an 11-point, 11-rebound double-double. Sheldon McClellan and Ivan Cruz Uceda each chipped in with 10 points in the defeat.

McClellan (14.7 ppg) and Rodriguez (12.2 ppg) are the only two double-digit scorers this season for the Hurricanes, although Jekiri (8.6 ppg) isn't too far off the pace. Jekiri makes up it with a team and conference-best 10.2 rpg, adding in 48 blocked shots. Miami as a unit is netting 68.4 ppg and is holding opponents to 63.1 ppg on 42 percent shooting from the field. The Hurricanes own a 10-6 record at home this season, and went 5-2 at BankUnited Center versus non-conference opponents.

NC Central will need that tough defense to hold against a Hurricanes team that not only competed regularly against greater competition, but made a strong case for an at-large national tournament bid. At home, the edge certainly goes to the 'Canes.