ZIMMERMAN LEADS BULLDOGS OVER AGGIESAlvis scores 13points in his final game at Corbett
GREENSBORO, N.C., March 5, 2005 – There are some teams in the upcoming MEAC Tournament that can hurt the N.C. A&T men’s basketball team with their size. The Aggies faced one of them Saturday night. S.C. State’s 6-foot-6, 235-pound senior
Thurman Zimmerman had his way in the post and finished with 25 points and seven rebounds on 10-for-16 shooting to lead S.C. State to a 73-65 win.
“If it’s a game where a lot of physical play is going to be allowed, we are at a disadvantage right now,’’ said N.C. A&T men’s basketball coach Jerry Eaves. “It will not always be that way, but right now, a kid like Zimmerman is going to hurt us because he has a big body and he knows how to use it effectively.”
Sean Booker led the Aggies with 20 points on 4-for-8 shooting from 3-point range and 8-for-14 shooting from the field. His quest to win the MEAC scoring title moves into this week’s MEAC tourney.
Booker scored 15 of his 20 points in the first half as the Aggies built a 39-31 lead going into the locker room at intermission. As with other leads the Aggies have held this season over the likes of Hampton and Norfolk State, the Bulldogs began using the superior size advantage inside.
Zimmerman stepped outside to tie the game at 56 with a 3-pointer with 9:05 remaining, then stepped inside to give the Bulldogs their first lead since they led 10-9 with 13 minutes remaining in the first half. The Bulldogs would never trail again, however.
The Aggies moved to within one at 62-61 with 5:08 remaining in the game, but Thurman score in the paint and a Shawn Higgins follow moved the Bulldogs lead back to five.
Jeff Alvis, who along with three other Aggie seniors was honored on Senior Day, finished with 13 points ans scored on a layup to move the Aggies to within three at 66-63.
“When we begin to tilt we usually tilt all the way,’’ Eaves said. “We’ve haven’t quite learned how to take a team’s best shot and still survive. So when we tilt, we usually go all the way.”
Demeco Heath gave the Aggies an extra shove with a three from the corner and a tip-in on the Bulldogs ensuing possession to give S.C. State 71-63 lead with 1:27 remaining.
The win moves S.C. State to 18-11 overall and 11-7 in the MEAC. The Aggies finish the regular-season 6-23 overall and 5-13 in the MEAC. The Aggies doubled their win total from last season and finish two spots higher (9th place) than where they were predicted in the preseason.
N.C. A&T will face Bethune-Cookman in a play-in game at 1 p.m., Tuesday at the Arthur Ashe Center in Richmond, Va. If the Aggies win, they would face No. 1 seed Delaware State on Wednesday at 6 p.m., in the Richmond Coliseum.
The Aggies split with both Bethune-Cookman and Delaware State this season.