Rush breaks two school records, scores 35

Box Score
NORFOLK, Va., February 24, 2007 – Steven Rush said it wasn’t something he was trying to do. But you probably can’t convince the 2,187 fans who came to Norfolk State’s Echols Hall Saturday night.

Steven Rush scored a career-high 35 points, hit 9-of-14 3-pointers and led the North Carolina A&T men’s basketball team to a 104-99 double overtime win over Norfolk State. In the process, Rush’s nine threes gave him the single-game 3-pointers made school record. He also broke Phillip Allen’s 13-year old school record most 3-pointers made in a season. Rush needed eight going into the game to break Allen’s record.

He has 101 on the season and is the only Aggie in school history to eclipse 100 threes in a season.  The Aggies are now in a fifth-place tie with Hampton for the final opening-day bye for the MEAC Tournament.

“I come to play my heart out every game,’’ said Rush. “My mom always taught me if you play to win, good things will happen. I wasn’t thinking about breaking records tonight, but my teammates found me in good shooting positions, with my feet set and I just knocked them down.”

Norfolk State wasn’t too bad in shooting beyond the arc. The Spartans hit 13 of their 28 3-point attempts with Tony Murphy hitting seven of them and Corey Lyons hitting five. Murphy and Lyons had 33 and 29 respectively. The Aggies reached 100 points for the first time in 196 games. The last time they scored a 100 was a 106-72 win over Howard on Feb. 10, 2000.

“It’s too bad for anyone in the city of Norfolk who wasn’t here tonight because they missed a whale of a ball game,’’ said Aggies coach Jerry Eaves. “This maybe one of the best college basketball games I’ve ever seen. I hate one team had to lose tonight.”

That team appeared to be N.C. A&T with 2:59 remaining in the first overtime. Murphy swished a 3-pointer falling away toward halfcourt  to give the Spartans a 91-83 lead. 

But Rush took a Jason Wills pass from the post and knocked down a three to pull the Aggies to within five. After Murphy made one of two free throws, Wills penetrated inside the lane, turned to his left and found Rush in the corner for another three that pulled the Aggies to within three, 92-89 with 2:08 remaining in the first overtime.

After the Aggies forced the Spartans into a bad shot with shot clock running down, it was more of the same on the offensive end for the Aggies. This time Rush tried to dribble past the Spartans defense, was stopped, took a few steps back to get beyond the 3-point arc and launched a floater toward the basket that went through to tie the game at 92 with 1:23 remaining in overtime No. 1.

“Steven can shoot the ball, there is no question about that,’’ said Eaves. “But when my other players are doing what they’re supposed to do, it makes him an even better shooter. When a Jason Wills is operating in the paint and drawing fouls. Or when an Austin Ewing his knocking down shots or a Greg Roberts is taking it to the basket, it means teams can’t focus solely on Steve and it just makes us a better basketball team.”

The free throw shooting of Wills will dominate the second overtime. The Aggies held a 95-92 lead when Greg Roberts blew by his defender for a layup with 2:51 remaining. The Spartans cut the lead to one, 97-96 on Dante’ Drummer’s runner in the lane.

“When the game is on the line, I want the ball in the hands of Jason Wills,’’ said Eaves. “He’s going to take it to the basket, he’s going to draw fouls and he’s going to hit his free throws.”

Wills ended the night with 20 points and 13 rebounds, his fifth double-double of the season. Roberts added 19 points and six rebounds, while Austin Ewing finished with 16. The Aggies play at Hampton on Monday at 8 p.m.