RALEIGH, N.C. - The Saint Augustine's University men's and women's basketball teams venture crosstown to Spaulding Gymnasium on Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013, to take on the men's and women's squads of their arch rival Shaw University. Game time is 2 p.m. for the women and 4 p.m. for the men.

Live stats will be available on www.shawbears.com and www.saintaugfalcons.com. Fans can hear the men's game on radio station WSHA 88.9 FM.

The Falcons (12-6 overall, 5-3 CIAA) are tied for first in the Southern Division at 2-0 after they were picked last in the division in the league preseason poll. They are led by senior guard Percy Woods (Washington, D.C.), who was named CIAA newcomer of the week Monday. The 5-10 guard leads the Falcons in points per game (13.2) and ranks third in the CIAA in three-point field goal percentage (43.6).

Woods is getting plenty of help from his teammates. Junior guard Joel Kindred (Raleigh, N.C.) averages 12.6 points per game and senior guard Tyquan Stroman (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) chips in 9.3 points per game. Sophomore center Jonathan Crawley (Richmond, Va.), listed at 6-8, 340 pounds, has emerged of late, averaging 12.5 points and seven rebounds off the bench in the previous two games. Crawley dominated inside in a 66-60 win over Johnson C. Smith Wednesday, posting career highs of 15 points and eight rebounds in addition to three blocks.

The Falcons, who lead the conference in rebounding margin, pounded JCSU on the glass by a whopping 51-26 advantage. They usually outscore their opponents in bench points by a wide margin.

The Falcons, victors of two straight, will need to be on their game again against Shaw (12-6 overall, 6-2), which has reached the NCAA Division II Tournament last two seasons. The Bears, led by the inside play of Karron Johnson and guards Curtis Hines and Latrail McCoy, are searching for a victory after a 0-2 Southern Division start. The Bears have won three of the last four against the Falcons, but Blow's teams at St. Aug were 4-0 in the series during his first tenure from 2008-2010.

“We have our hands full,” said St. Aug Head Coach Lonnie Blow, Jr., named CIAA coach of the week Monday. “They are really talented and present a lot of problems. Coach [Cleo] Hill has done a good job. Some of their kids are still around from the teams that went to the NCAA Tourney.

“We have to be ready to play. I am sure they will be ready.”

The Lady Falcons (9-8 overall, 5-3 CIAA) are entering Saturday's contest against Shaw on a roll of their own. They have won four of their last five including their last two games to move into a first-place tie in the Southern Division with the Lady Bears at 2-0. The winner will own sole possession of first place.

The fact the Lady Falcons are in this position is quite an accomplishment. The Lady Falcons have five freshmen and three sophomores on their roster and they rely heavily on them. Their leading scorers and rebounder are freshmen.

“It is awesome to play for first place when we started out kind of slow,” St. Aug Head Coach Rachel Bullard said. “But like I've been preaching to the girls, “It's one day at time and one game at a time.””

Guards Regime McCombs (Fr./Greenville, S.C.) and Porscha Walton (Fr./Chesterfield, Va.) average 11.5 points and 10.7 points, respectively, while forward Terri Jacobs (Fr./McDonough, Ga.) pulls down 6.6 rebounds a game. McCombs scored 16 points, Walton added 14 points and Jacobs pumped in 11 points in a 77-69 win over Johnson C. Smith at home Wednesday.

The freshmen have proven they can handle themselves in CIAA play. McCombs ranks second in the conference in three-point shooting percentage (37.2) and Walton was named CIAA rookie of the week Monday. Newcomer Temperance Jacobs (Sr./McDonough, Ga.) helps her sister Terri man the inside. Temperance Jacobs averages 9.2 points including a season-high 23 points against Winston-Salem State last weekend.

The Lady Falcons, led by their young nucleus, will attempt to snap the Lady Bears' eight-game win with their pressure defense. They are among the CIAA and Division II leaders in steals per game. The Lady Bears, who are the defending NCAA Division II champions, are currently ranked 12^th nationally in the USA Today Coaches Division II poll. The Lady Bears are sparked by guard Ronika Ransford and forward Taylor Dalrymple. Both players are among the CIAA's top scorers and Dalrymple leads the conference in rebounding.

The Lady Bears have taken the last six games in the series, but the Lady Falcons gave them a scare in the CIAA Tournament last year. The Lady Falcons will be seeking a win to remain atop the division standings.

“It is tough to play in Shaw's gym,” Bullard said. “They definitely have the crowd on their side. We have to be ready to play and focus on what's important which is putting the ball in the hoop and stopping them on defensive end.”