ATKINSON’S LAYUP GIVES CAMPBELL WIN OVER AGGIES
N.C. A&T forward Greg Roberts scores a career-high 17 points

GREENSBORO, N.C., December 11, 2004 – Campbell’s Anthony Atkinson may have been the smallest man on the court, but with the game on the line, he made the biggest shot of the night. Atkinson scored on a layup with 3.2 seconds remaining that gave Campbell a 68-67 victory over N.C. A&T in the Corbett Sports Center on Saturday night.

Steven Koger, who finished with 17 points, gave the Aggies a 67-66 lead just six seconds earlier as he drove baseline pulled up for a short jumper over the arms of Campbell’s Comerlee Poole.

Atkinson, a 5-foot-10, 160-pound sophomore, took the ball, raced the length of the court avoiding all five Aggies and scored without being contested. Sean Booker’s 25-foot 3-point attempt bounced off the back rim, and the Camels had earned their first road victory in 36 tries.

“After we scored we should have turned him,’’ said N.C. A&T head coach Jerry Eaves. “We never got in front of him, and when a kid is as fast as he is, you’ve got to turn him.”

Eaves wanted the Aggies to make Atkinson to at least switch hands on the dribble and turn his body coming up the court, thereby, making it tougher for Wilson, N.C., native to get off such a good shot.

“You want to make him turn at least three times coming up the floor,’’ said N.C. A&T guard Sean Booker, who finished the night with 15 points. “We didn’t turn him once, and basically brought the ball up the floor and kept in his right hand the whole time.”

Atkinson actually gave the Aggies trouble most of the night. When the Aggies made runs in the second half, he answered. He hit a jumper to give the Camels a 62-58 lead with 3:59 remaining.
Following a Greg Roberts jumper that gave the Aggies a brief lead at 63-62, Atkinson found a wide open Comerlee Poole for a layup and a 64-63 Camels advantage with 1:47 left.

Campbell (2-3) had a chance to put the game away after Russ Gibson was fouled on a 3-point attempt, but Gibson missed all three free throws to keep the Aggies in the game. Koger made a short jumper for a 65-64 N.C. A&T advantage. Ruell Pringle countered with two free throws with 19 seconds remaining, setting up Koger’s shot that regained the lead before Atkinson won the game.

The loss spoiled a career night for Roberts, who shook off a sprained foot to score a career-high 17 points for the Aggies.

Maurice Lathan led Campbell with 17 points and a season-high 12 rebounds. Poole added 14 points, while Atkinson and Pringle added 14 apiece.

N.C. A&T (1-7) will play at 14th-ranked Louisville Tuesday night at 7 in Louisville, Ken. The Aggies do not play in Corbett again until Saturday, Jan. 8, 2005 when they face the Hampton Pirates at 4 p.m.

It will be Faculty Appreciation Night on Jan. 8. Faculty and staff will enter the doors at a reduced rate. Call (336) 334-7749 for more information.