Aggies fall to 7-3 at home

Box Score
GREENSBORO, February 17, 2007 – Before the season started, North Carolina A&T men’s basketball coach Jerry Eaves said if his Aggies team could score in the 70’s on a consistent basis, it would be successful more times than not.

So far the four-year coach has proven to be prophetic. The Aggies lost a crucial conference game on Saturday to Coppin State, 64-58. The loss dropped the Aggies to 1-10 when they don’t score at least 70 points. There is a simple reason for that according to Eaves.

“We didn’t hit shots tonight,’’ said Eaves. “Our offense is truly predicated on hitting shots. We didn’t hit shots, we didn’t hit our 3-pointers and we didn’t hit our free throws. You’re not going to win too many games we don’t do those things well.”

The Aggies shot 35.6 percent from the field and had only player score in double figures. Junior guard Steven Rush had 11 points. Jason Wills had nine points and eight rebounds, while Greg Roberts added eight points and eight boards.

Despite the Aggies trouble with their shooting touch, they were able to rally from a 15-point second-half deficit. By the 10:27 mark of the second half, the Aggies had cut the lead to 10 at 52-42. Nicholas Wilson scored four points during an 8-0 Aggies run to put the Aggies down two, 52-50 with 7:19 to play.

But the shots would stop falling again. The Aggies hit just one field goal over the next five minutes of the game, a span that included layups that rolled around the rim before falling out. The drought allowed the Eagles to increase their lead to seven, 60-53 with 2:28 to play.

“They did an outstanding job getting on the boards at that point,” Eaves said. “We’re going to play good defense, but when our shots are not following, we stop following the principles of our offense and we become dependent on 3-point shots. It truly takes recruiting, where one day we will have true inside-outside presence to help our offense.”

Austin Ewing, kept the Aggies hope alive with a three to cut Coppin State’s lead to 60-56 with 1:31 to play. Despite having two opportunities, the Aggies could not cut the lead any further as Coppin State improved to 8-17 overall and 6-7 in the MEAC. Tywain McKee finished with a game-high 26 points.

The Aggies are 11-15 on the season and 7-7 in the conference. The Aggies are in seventh in the conference, but fortunately they still control their own destiny in terms of earning a first-round bye in the March 5-10 MEAC Tournament in Raleigh.

The Aggies host Morgan State on Monday night at 7:30. Three Aggie seniors will be playing their final home game. Roberts, Walter Booth and Derek Crumpton hold the distinction