Aggies shoot 50 percent for the game

Box Score
TEMPE, Ariz., December 22, 2006 – North Carolina A&T men’s basketball team ran its offense well on Friday night that resulted in 50 percent shooting. Unfortunately, Ohio ran its offense a little better. The Bobcats shot 60 percent from the field to beat the Aggies in the consolation game of the Arizona State Holiday Classic, 95-83.

Steven Rush led the Aggies with 25 points on seven 3-pointers. Jason Wills added 13 points and five rebounds; while Walter Booth recorded a career high eight assists. Austin Ewing finished in double figures with 11.

“I think we’re going to be ok,’’ said Eaves. “We have a good team, and I think we’re going to be a very good team in our league. We just have to get back to practice and work on closing out on shooters and denying the ball to the post.”

Those two aspects of the game hurt the Aggies on Friday night along with a minus-11 rebounding margin to the Bobcats.  

The Bobcats took control of the game with seven minutes remaining in the first half. Rush and various shooters from the Bobcats began exchanging 3-pointers. Whitney Davis connected on three to give the Bobcats a 32-24 lead. Rush responded quickly with a quick pull-up jumper. Twenty-three seconds later, Sonny Troutman came back with another Bobcats three to push the lead back to eight at 35-27 with 6:03 to play in the first half. 

Two Glenn Nelson free throws cut the lead to six. On the Bobcats next possession they went inside to Leon Williams for 37-29 lead. Rush, however, continued his accurate 3-point shooting. His three with 5:24 remaining in the first half cut the Bobcats lead to 37-32. Again, the Bobcats would have an answer to Rush’s 3-point shooting.

Stephen King’s three from the corner put the Bobcats up eight, but this time the Aggies would have no answer. King’s three sparked a 10-0 Bobcats run that gave them a 47-32 lead. N.C. A&T, who trailed 50-40 at the half, had trouble getting the Bobcats lead under 10 the rest of the night.

Twice in the second half, the Aggies were able to get the lead under ten. The last time came on a Booth free throw with 16:10 to play that made it a 57-49 game. But Troutman, who had 22 points on 4-for-7 shooting from the arc, knocked down a three to push the lead to 11. Davis followed with another three to give the Bobcats a 63-49 lead with 15:03 to play.

The Aggies were never able to get the lead any closer than 11 the rest of the way. “When you get behind you have to take some chances,’’ said Eaves. “They did a good job of executing and they were able to get some open shots.”

Davis led the Bobcats with 24 points on 9-for-13 shooting from the field and 6-for-9 shooting from 3-point range. Williams had 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Jerome Tillman added 15 points and seven boards.

The Aggies will return home to Greensboro for the Christmas Holiday before Texas road trip that will see them play Baylor on Dec. 28 and Southern Methodist on Dec. 30.