Aggie Basketball
Bears out-rebound Aggies 52-27
BALTIMORE, Md., February 10, 2005 – It was a night where N.C. A&T got to the free throw line, received open looks and forced turnovers with their pressure defense.
It was also a night where the hustle stats went Morgan State's way. The Bears got 20 points and 11 rebounds – six on the offensive end – from Ronald Timus to down the Aggies 71-54 Thursday night in Baltimore.
“They crashed the boards and made the most of their opportunities and we simply did not,'' said N.C. A&T head men's basketball Jerry Eaves. “It was a close game when we played them Monday, so they came in here ready to fight. We didn't come in here with that same sense of urgency.”
Michael Hayes , who didn't start a game he played in for the first time this season, led the Aggies with 11 points. Freshman Demetrius Guions did get the start, marking the first time in the Eaves era when a freshman started.
Hayes, Guions and the rest of the Aggies had trouble keeping Timus away from the ball once it came off the rim. Timus scored 12 of the Bears first 16 points of the game and grabbed three offensive rebounds in the process. As if Timus wasn't enough, Brand began to score not off of rebounds but off of his shooting touch.
Brand hit three straight 3-pointers to push the Bears lead to 31-13 with 5:27 remaining in the first half. The Aggies fought back. When Guions intercepted a Chris Warfield pass and scored on a layup, the Aggies had completed a 12-0 run to go into the locker room down 31-25.
Out of the locker room, point guard Rechodd Carter scored on a 3-point play to reduce Morgan State's lead to three.
It would not get any better the rest of the night. The Aggies trailed 40-35 after a Jason Wills layup with 15:50 remaining. The Aggies next field goal did not occur until the 6:54 mark of the second half. By the time Gregory Davis hit the field goal, Morgan State's lead had ballooned to 59-37.
“We just didn't hit our shots,'' Eaves said. “You can run the play and get the look you want, but into the ball goes through the hoop it's all for not.”
The Aggies fell to 4-18 overall and 3-8 in the MEAC. They will try to break their 28-game road-losing streak at Hampton on Saturday at 6 p.m.