AGGIES
RALLY FALLS SHORT AGAINST HORNETSDOVER, DEL., January 9, 2005 -- Perhaps four consecutive home games will help. On Monday, the Aggies dropped to 0-3 in the MEAC following a 56-52 loss to Delaware State at Memorial Hall.
Walter Booth led three Aggies in double figures with 11. Christopher Faison and Greg Roberts had 10 points apiece. Despite losing personnel since the start of the season, the Aggies have lost their three conference games by a total of seven points. Two of those losses came in overtime.
"We can win,'' said N.C. A&T head basketball coach Jerry Eaves. "There is no doubt in mind we can win ball games with the team we have right now. It's just comes down to being consistent."
The Aggies trailed 53-43 with 3:50 remaining following a Aaron Fleetwood dunk. N.C. A&T gradually cut the lead over the next minute-and-half and when Faison intercepted a Jasha Bluntt pass and scored on a layup with 1:41 to play the Aggies were down three, 53-50.
Two Jason Wills free throws completed the Aggies 9-0 run and put the Aggies down one with 56 seconds remaining. On the Hornets next possession, Bluntt missed an open 3-pointer. As the ball bounced off the rim, Booth and Delaware State's Tracy Worley went for the rebound.
Booth was called for the loose ball foul, sending Worley to the free throw line. Worley hit both free throws to put the Hornets up by three, 55-52 with 21 seconds remaining. After an Aggies timeout, Wills tried to come off a screen to hit a 3-pointer, but was blocked by Aaron Fleetwood. This time it was Aggies forward Michael Hayes and Delaware State's Alain Walker battling for the loose ball and again the foul call went against the Aggies.
Walker hit one of two free throws with 5.2 seconds remaining to put the game out of reach. The Aggies fell to 0-12 overall on the season. The Aggies face Florida A&M 4 p.m., Saturday at the Corbett Sports Center. It will be the first of four straight home games for N.C. A&T. Included in those stretch of games is an ESPN2 game against Bethune-Cookman noon Monday.