Next up: Saturday, December 2
North Carolina A&T at S.C. State,  2 p.m., Orangeburg, S.C. (Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Coliseum)

Aggies shoot better than 50 percent for the first time in the Bibbs era

Box Score
GREENSBORO, N.C., November 25, 2006 – Unlike Friday, North Carolina A&T’s women’s basketball team did not have many problems scoring in its halfcourt set. Instead, the Aggies took the easy route by scoring high percentage fastbreak layups in a 79-63 win over Longwood in the consolation game of the UNC-Greensboro Thanksgiving Holiday Tournament at Fleming Gymnasium.

Amber Bland followed up her 30-point performance on Friday with a 24-point Saturday afternoon  on 10-for-18 shooting from the floor. Bland scored 54 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, had eight steals and shot 55.8 percent for the tournament to earn All-Tournament Honors.

Tweet Cook added 18 points, six rebounds and season-high seven assists, while Lonise Coulter also scored in double figures with 10. The Aggies shot 50.8 percent from the floor to mark the first time in the Patricia Cage-Bibbs 34-game era that the Aggies have shot better than 50 percent from the floor. It was the first time the Aggies have shot better than 50 percent in their last 43 games. They accomplished the feat thanks to a 22-0 fastbreak advantage.

The fastbreak number doesn’t include the number of times the Aggies were fouled on fastbreak attempts as they scored 27 points off of 22 Longwood turnovers.

“We stress to them all the time, if you beat them down the floor you don’t have to worry about running a play,’’ said Bibbs. “We were able to beat them down the floor tonight and it allowed us to score easily in transition.”

With the Aggies leading 25-21 with 6:16 remaining in the first half, Amber Bland knocked down a 3-pointer from the right corner that ignited a run that the Lancers never recovered from the rest of the day.

Bland’s three was followed by a Cook rebound and fastbreak that resulted in an easy Bland layup. Thanks to Cook’s ability to get the Aggies into their transition game off Longwood misses, the Aggies would score their next 11 points off either the fastbreak or free throws that were a result of the Aggies starting the break as they took a 41-28 halftime lead.

Coulter scored four quick points to open the second half to help the Aggies open the second half on a 7-0 run to take a 48-28 lead. When Cook knocked down a free throw at the 8:33 mark of the second half, the Aggies took their biggest lead of the day, a 30-point lead at 65-35.

“Our bench came through for us tonight,’’ said Bibbs, who saw reserve center LaPorsha Lowry score eight points and grab six rebounds in 16 minutes, and reserve forward Shantar Waddell score six points and five rebounds in 28 minutes. “I thought it was great to see those young ladies contribute today. We’re going to need them as we go into conference play.”

The Aggies (2-4) next game will be a MEAC contest. The Aggies head to Orangeburg, S.C., to face S.C. State on Saturday, Dec. 2 at 2 p.m.