Three freshmen Aggie starters combine for 43 of the Aggies 61 points

Box Score
GREENSBORO, November 10, 2006 – So what’s the big deal about playing Division I women’s college basketball? North Carolina A&T’s three freshmen starters – Lamona Smalley, Lonise Coulter and Ta’Wuana “Tweet” Cook -- combined for 43 points, 25 rebounds and eight assists to lead the Aggies to a 61-49 win over Stetson at Corbett Sports Center Friday night.  

Smalley led the Aggies with 20 points and 12 rebounds, while Cook finished the night with 16 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Not to be out done by her freshmen teammates, Ahmad Williams added 11 points.

The Aggies are 1-0 for the first time since 1995, and Bibbs won her 381^st game, putting her 19 shy of 400. She also improved to 20-5 all-time in Corbett Sports Center.

“You always want to start out on a positive note,’’ said North Carolina A&T’s women’s coach Patricia-Cage Bibbs. “We can’t get too excited. Our young ladies still have a long way to go and they still have a lot to learn, but I hope tonight gives them some confidence.”

Cook was definitely confident from 3-point range all night. She was 3-for-9 from the 3-point arc. Cook’s three 5 ½ minutes into the second half gave the Aggies their biggest lead of the game at 39-30. The Hatters were not able to get any closer than five until the 5:54 mark on a  Sharnesha Smith jump shot. But it was the freshmen who helped the Aggies pull away for good.

Smalley, like she did most of the night, hit a 10-footer from the baseline and Coulter scored underneath to put the Aggies ahead 51-42 with 2:28 to play. The Hatters never came any closer than six the rest of the way.

The Hatters were led by Janene Maclin’s 14-point, 11-rebound performance. Jamie Nesbit added 10 points and six rebounds. The Hatters took an 8-6 lead on a Smith 3-pointer with 15:27 remaining in the first half. Ahmad Williams answered by hitting an open jump shot from the baseline. When Smalley followed that with a fastbreak layup, the Aggies held a 10-8 lead – a lead they would never surrender again.

“I think we did a lot of good things tonight, but we have to hit our free throws,’’ said Bibbs. “We shot less than 50 percent from the line tonight, and that’s not going to get it done in a close game in the MEAC.”

The Aggie freshmen had such a good night of it, Cook hit a half-court shot at the buzzer to end the game. But the referees waved off the hoop.