Senior guard Steven Koger scores six points in overtime to lead N.C. A&T to victory 

GREENSBORO, N.C., January 15, 2005 -- N.C. A&T
has only two four-year seniors on its roster and they both contributed to win No. 2 on the season.

Steven Koger led the Aggies with 20 points and Rechodd Carter chipped in with six points and a career-high seven assists as the Aggies earned their first conference win of the season, 70-66 in overtime over Delaware State.

“That’s what seniors are supposed to do for you,’’ N.C. A&T head men’s basketball coach Jerry Eaves said about Carter and Koger. “Rechodd and Steven have made it through some rough times in this program, so sometimes it’s hard to believe you can win when you’ve been through the losses. But they are starting to believe they’re supposed to win and you can see it in their play.”

The Aggies improved to 2-13 overall and 1-3 in the MEAC. Terrance Hunter led the Hornets with 17 points and five rebounds. Jahsha Bluntt added 15.

            Koger has really emerged as the Aggies No. 2 scorer lately. Saturday marked the second time in three games Koger has scored 20 points and he is averaging 19.0 points in his last three games.

             “We feel like we’re supposed to have a few more wins then we already have,’’ Koger said. “We think we’re good enough to compete for an MEAC title, we just have to keep doing the little things it takes to win the close ones. We’ve been close in a lot of games this year, so it feels good to finally come out on top.”

With 1:49 to play in regulation, a Koger 3-pointer gave the Aggies a 58-53 lead. Twenty-four seconds later Sean Booker would commit his fourth foul, sending Hunter to the free throw line. 

            Hunter hit both free throws, Delaware State then scored off of an Aggies turnover and on the next possession the Aggies would lose a key player in their quest to win their first January conference game in three years.

            Sean Booker fouled out for the fifth time this season as his foul with 28 seconds remaining in the game sent Hunter back to the free throw line. Booker ended his night with 13 points and eight rebounds.

 Hunter made only one of two free throws to tie the game at 58 apiece. N.C. A&T forward Greg Roberts’ missed jump shot from the right corner as time expired assured overtime.

            Once there, the four-year seniors took over. Koger (6 points) and Carter (4 points) combined to score 10 of the Aggies 12 overtime points.

Koger gave the Aggies a 63-60 lead with 2:40 remaining in overtime as the 6-foot-3 guard floated through the air on an Aggies fastbreak for a slam dunk that ignited the Corbett Sports Center crowd.

Hunter silenced the faithful with a 3-pointer, tying the game at 63. Carter then stepped in. He drove to the basket and drew a foul from Darrin Shine. Carter’s two free throws put the Aggies up 65-63.

After a Roberts steal gave the Aggies back the ball, Carter engineered the Aggies offense, penetrated the lane, nearly lost the ball, fought to get it back and then worked his away inside to draw another foul that sent him back to the line.

There, he hit two more free throws giving the Aggies a 67-63 lead with 27 second to play. With the Aggies appearing to have the game in hand after two Michael Hayes free throws push the lead to six, Tracey Worley hit the Hornets 10^th 3-pointer of the game to cut N.C. A&T’s lead to 69-66 with nine seconds remaining.

But when the Hornets called a timeout they did not have, Koger went to the line with three seconds remaining to hit one of two free throws and seal the win for N.C. A&T.

  “They wanted it more than we did,’’ Delaware State coach Greg Jackson said. “We didn’t play hard enough to earn a win tonight and they did.”