Roberts, Booth and Crumpton see careers come to an end

Box Score
RALEIGH, March 9, 2007 --  Seniors Walter Booth and Greg Roberts walked out  of the RBC Center locker rooms designated for the North Carolina A&T men’s basketball team and received huge hugs from head coach Jerry Eaves.

Both men smiled as if there didn’t need to be another word spoken. They knew why they were being hugged. The Aggies lost to Florida A&M 74-66 Friday night in the semifinals of the MEAC Tournament. Steven Rush led the way for the Aggies with 22 points, while Jason Wills added 14.

The hugs and smiles from Eaves, Booth and Roberts weren’t about the season coming to an end, it was about being a part of the rebirth of Aggies basketball.

 “Those guys know what it’s like to struggle to win three games,’’ said Eaves. “They know what it’s like to win five games. They know what it means to have a team full of sophomores and freshmen and walk-ons. They can appreciate what we accomplished this season. It’s been a process. It’s a process Greg and Walter helped us get to.”

The Aggies finished the season 15-17 overall and 10-8 in the MEAC. N.C. A&T’s win total equaled the Aggies win total from the previous three seasons combined. It was the most wins the Aggies have produced in 10 seasons when they went 15-13 in 1996-97.

As more proof of a rebuilt program that was 1-26 the year before Eaves took over, the Aggies won six games on the road, which is a far contrast from the 32 straight road games Eaves saw his team lose from 2003-05. The Aggies beat Hampton at Hampton for the first time in nine years and they beat Coppin State in Baltimore for the first time in eight years.

Roberts and Booth came to N.C. A&T like Eaves, following a 1-26 season. They both came in as walk-ons and worked their way into the starting lineup. After years of coming to the tournament only to play early in the week and then go home, Roberts and Booth stayed late into the week and after helping the Aggies to a No. 3 and the semifinals.  Roberts finished his career with 14 points, while Booth had eight points.

“I’m truly running down hill now,’’ said Eaves. “My job is getting easier by the year. All I have to do now is put these young people in a position to be successful on the court because now I have a Steven Rush who when says go to class, players will listen. When Jason Wills says work harder in practice, young players  will listen because they’ve had success. They’re all-conference players.”

The Aggies, however, did want the season of improvement to end on Friday. But the Rattlers outside shooting and work on the boards were too much for the Aggies to overcome. Leslie Robinson hit seven 3-pointers on his way to 25 points and Brian Greene had a dominant performance with 12 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists against just one turnover.

“They hit all the big shots. They picked up all the loose balls/. They really played well,’’ said Eaves. “We only got to the line one time in the first half, so we weren’t able to get them into foul trouble and exploit their bench. It wasn’t officiating, we just didn’t play aggressive enough. “

The Rattlers out-rebounded the Aggies 38-22 with 38 of their rebounds coming on the offensive end. Joe Ballard grabbed one of those offensive boards with 9:39 to play and put it back in the basket for a 62-50 lead, the Ratters biggest of the game.

The Aggies battled back by going on a 7-0 run that was capped off by a Rush 3-pointer that put the Aggies to within three, 62-59 with 5:54 to play. The Aggies cut into the lead even more on a Roberts 3-point play 44 seconds later that made it 64-62. The Aggies had a chance to tie the game, but Booth missed a front end of a one-and-one. The Rattlers turned that into two free throws down on the other end. The Rattlers would grab for offensive boards down the stretch to clinch the game.

The Aggies should return 11 players next season, including seven seniors. Freshmen Tavarus Alston and Robert Johnson should take larger roles next season, while sophomores Nicholas Wilson and James Porter will key roles as well. The Aggies also get back Chad Webster, who missed all season with a foot injury