Wills earns double-double with 13 points and 10 boards

Box Score
GREENSBORO, February 10, 2007 – Once unbeatable at home, the North Carolina A&T men’s basketball team has now lost two straight at Corbett Sports Center with is 58-55 overtime loss to Bethune-Cookman on Saturday night.

The current slump at home and the Aggies third loss in four games is a product of what head coach Jerry Eaves calls being flat. The Aggies shot 31.4 percent from the floor as they lost to Bethune-Cookman for the second time this season. Jason Wills led the Aggies with 13 points and 10 rebounds, his seventh double-double of his career. Steven Rush also reached double figures with 11.

“Everyone goes through this,’’ said Eaves. “We’ve come out lethargic our last few ball games. We need to get through it. Give Bethune credit, they hit big shots when they needed it. They played well.”

Wills, who was 11-for-14 from the line on the night, hit two of those free throws to put the Aggies up 45-42 with 2:24 to play in regulation. But Jimmy Hudson, who was one of the Wildcat players hitting big shots on Saturday, knocked down a 3-pointer just before the shot clock expired to tie the game.

The Wildcats took the lead on a John Anderson free throw and extended the lead to four, 49-45, with another Hudson three with 36 seconds remaining in regulation. What looked like a two-possession game was turned into one possession game thanks to Rush. Rush was 0-for-6 from 3-point range until he hit a 3-pointer while being fouled by Demitrius Coleman.

Rush’s free throw tied the game at 49, sending the game into overtime. The Aggies and the Wildcats traded the lead five times before Josh Cummings gave the Wildcats the lead for good with a baseline jumper with 31 seconds remaining in the game.

After a timeout, Austin Ewing drove the lane, but couldn’t make anything happen with 11 seconds to play. Cummings hit two free throws to give the Wildcats a 3-point lead. Ewing tried to tie the game, but his three went long, dropping the Aggies 10-14 overall and 6-6 in the conference. The Aggies remain in seventh place in the MEAC.

“Our offense is predicated on making shots and right now we can’t buy a shot,’’ said Eaves. “We’ll get over this. We still have three homes left and we’ll try to make the best of it.”

Hudson led the Wildcats (5-17, 3-9) with 16 points, while John Anderson and Ron Mitchell had 12 rebounds and 10 rebounds respectively. The Aggies play Florida A&M on Monday at 7 p.m., from Corbett. The game will be televised live on ESPNU.