YOUTHFUL AGGIES DROP CLOSE ROAD GAME TO NORFOLK STATE

Spartans attempt 27 free throws; Aggies attempt seven

NORFOLK, Va., February 14, 2005 – Mistakes, bad shots and bad decisions are something N.C. A&T men's basketball coach Jerry Eaves knows he has to endure before he can see the day the Aggies are atop the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference because his team is young.
On Monday, the Aggies fought back, had a chance to take the lead late and perhaps win. But the difference was, the Aggies had two freshmen and a sophomore on the floor, while Norfolk State had two seniors and a junior.

The Spartans' experience helped them to a 56-51 win over the Aggies, earning their first sweep of the Aggies since joining the conference in 1997. Senior Chakowby Hicks led the Spartans with 20 points and eight rebounds.
Sophomore guard Sean Booker broke out of his two-game slump to lead the Aggies with 17 points, while freshman Demetrius Guions finished with 10.

“The one thing about our kids is they don't give up,'' Eaves said. “But we're young. Plain and simple, we're young. We've got babies on the floor and they have full grown men. Now in a few years, my babies will be men and the other team's men will be gone.”

Eaves has settled into the notion that he's going to have to play his youngsters. So much so, he's started Guions three games a row, which goes against his philosophy of not starting freshman.
He contributes the Aggies slow start on Monday to his youth. The Aggies went the first 8:45 of the game without a point. The Aggies first basket was on a goaltending call, so their first basket didn't go through the hoop until Guions followed his own miss with a layup at the 8:31 of the first half.

Fortunately for the Aggies, they only trailed 15-4, and even rallied to get to within six – 29-23 – at the half.
N.C. A&T, who trailed by as many as 10 in the second half, rallied to tie the game at 49 with 4:30 to play. The Spartans pushed the lead to four on a Curtis Bunn layup and two Hicks free throws.

Rechodd Carter then drove to the basket and drew a foul from Armand Massogo . Carter knocked down both free throws to pull the Aggies to within two, 53-51. After a missed three by Hicks with 1:14 to play, the Aggies had a chance to tie the game. However freshman Jason Wills , whose playing time has also increased lately, overthrew a cutting Booker with 64 seconds to play.

Massogo would miss a 3-pointer on the Spartans ensuing possession, but 6-foot-9 Karandick Ogunride , who was three inches taller than the tallest Aggie, grabbed the offensive board.

The Aggies were force to foul Bunn. He hit one of two free throws to keep the Aggies to within striking distance at 54-51. But when Rechodd Carter's layup rolled off the rim, the Aggies had endured another tough road loss.

“That's been the story of our whole season,'' Eaves said. “We simply don't capitalize on key opportunities. We'll have our chances, but we'll miss a layup here, a free throw there and we lose it. But we're patient because it's going to come.”

The Aggies face Delaware State on the road this Saturday, and then travel to Washington, D.C. to face the Bison of Howard. They return home on Saturday, Feb. 26 to face Florida A&M at 4 p.m.