Staff report

DURHAM -- In N.C. Central's third season of Division I women's basketball, the travel may be shorter but the competition doesn't seem to be getting any easier.

Duke and North Carolina are among five ACC schools the Lady Eagles have on their 2009-10 schedule, which was announced on Monday.

"Our schedule is definitely very competitive this year," NCCU coach Joli Robinson said. "The positive points about our schedule are that we are not traveling many miles across the map like we have in the past and we will not miss as many class days.

"Our games are close enough that our fans can come out and support us, and we will have some room in our schedule to plan and prepare for the next game."

After a Nov. 8 exhibition game against Johnson C. Smith, the 2009 CIAA champion, NCCU opens the regular season at ACC power Maryland on Nov. 14 at the Comcast Center. The Terps won the 2009 ACC championship and reaced the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament.

The Lady Eagles, who had a 10-17 record overall a year ago by 5-3 at home, play the first of 10 home games on Nov. 18 against Campbell at McLendon-McDougald Gymnasium.

Virginia Tech is the next ACC opponent on the schedule on Dec. 5, followed by Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Dec. 28.

NCCU visits Wake Forest on Feb. 22, then closes its schedule at North Carolina in a game the Tar Heels have wedged between the ACC Tournament and the start of the NCAA Tournament.

While the Lady Eagles' longest trip is to Tampa for the University of South Florida Shootout on Dec. 19 and 20, they will go more than a month without a home game twice during the season.

NCCU hosts Gardner-Webb on Nov. 22, then hits the road for seven games before hosting South Carolina State on Dec. 30.

The Lady Eagles' second extended absence comes after hosting Savannah State on Jan. 18. They play six games on the road before returning home against Chicago State on Feb. 20.

"I am looking forward to the start of a new season," Robinson said. "Having some of the players from last season will help the young athletes as they go through this season mentally and physically.

"As we continue to play throughout the season, we want to be sure that we are being competitive, that we are developing and that we are growing as a team each game. We want to see improvement from game to game."