Box Score
WACO, Texas, December 28, 2006 – There must be better ways to test how hot you are on the court than playing a team considered one of the 10 best in the country. But the Aggies didn’t get a better way, they got the No. 9 Baylor Bears at the Ferrell Center on Thursday night.

 Hurt by turnovers, the Aggies couldn’t pass the difficult exam as Baylor ended their five-game winning steak with an 89-40 win. The Aggies fell to 6-5 overall, while the Bears improved to 12-1.

 “They were able to run and we couldn’t afford to get into a running contest with a team like that,’’ said N.C. A&T head coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs. “I thought we hung with them early, and then we started giving the ball at that allowed them to run.”

 “I wish we could have gotten Amber a little more involved in the first half, but she is such an unselfish player, which is good quality in a player, but against competition like this sometimes you have to lead at let others follow.”

 Amber Bland led the Aggies with 17 points and five rebounds on 8-for-19 shooting, marking her ninth straight game in double figures. Freshman forward Lamona Smalley tied a season high with 12 rebounds.

 The Aggies hung in early, trailing just 13-8 with 12:55 to play in the first half thanks to an Amber Bland 15-footer. But the talented Bears took advantage of an Aggies team that finally showed his age on Thursday. Bibbs’ squad, dominated by sophomores and freshmen, started turning the ball over in the half court and the Bears capitalized on almost every opportunity.

 The Bears scored 39 points on 36 Aggie turnovers, which resulted in 26 fastbreak points for the Bears. The Bears took over the game with a 15-0 run in the first half that ended with them holding a 30-8 lead with 6:50 remaining in the first half. The Aggies turned the ball over 10 times during the run, which led to eight Baylor points.

 “We’re just so young right now,’’ said Bibbs. “Before tonight, we were really playing some good basketball despite our youth, so I think this team will be all right as the season goes on. But right now, we’re a little too young to play with a team of this magnitude. We’re never going to run away from competition like this. Give these young ladies some time, and I think they’ll be able to compete with a Baylor.”

 Baylor was led by Latoya Wyatt and Latara Darrett who had 13 points apiece. Danielle Wilson added 12 points and 12 rebounds. Bernice Mosby and Angela Tisdale also scored in double figures with 11 points apiece.