Aggies finish 3-0 during Christmas Holiday homestand

Box Score
GREENSBORO, N.C., December 20, 2006 – N.C. A&T women’s basketball head coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs has been pleased with the way her team has finished games during its current winning streak. However, she has not been thrilled with how the Aggies have started games.

 Wednesday night was an exception. The Aggies scored the first 11 points of the game, and went on to cruise to an 81-46 victory over Elon at Corbett Sports Center. Four Aggies ended the night in double figures, led by Amber Bland’s 23 points and seven rebounds. Tweet Cook added 16 points and four assists. Tierra Bumbrey led Elon with 11 points.

 Cook and Bland got the Aggies started early, scoring eight points apiece in a 23-9 run to open the game thanks to multiple Phoenix turnovers. Bland kept the momentum going with a jumper to give the Aggies its largest lead of the first half at 36-17 with 3:17 left in the half. N.C. A&T led 38-20 at intermission, as it held Elon to 8-of-28 shooting (28.6 percent), while converting 16-of-31 from the field (51.6 percent).

"We executed on both ends of the floor tonight,” said Cage-Bibbs, who earned her biggest win since arriving at the helm of the Aggies. “We have been preaching about starting off well in our games and it finally came through for us tonight.”

The second half saw the Aggies lead to balloon to 27 by the midway point of the second half.  Two Bland free throws moved the Aggie lead to 70-39 with 6:16 remaining. LaPorsha Lowry’s layup gave the Aggies its largest lead at 81-44 with under three minutes.

N.C. A&T shot 54.2 percent from the field, forced 24 turnovers, and had a 43-32 rebounding edge – all three were season highs. The win was the Aggies’ largest margin of victory since a 94-56 win at Morris Brown on Feb. 17, 2003. Smalley finished with 12 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field, while Brittanie Taylor-James added 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting.

 “We got some steals off our pressure and got some easy baskets,’’ said Bibbs. “The lead allowed us to get our bench into the game and they did some positive things for us. It was good to see that as we get ready for the MEAC.”

 The Aggies go into the holiday break with its longest winning streak since the 1998-99 season. N.C. A&T will play a pair of games on the road in Texas, starting with Baylor on Dec. 28 at 4 p.m.

They will resume play at Corbett Sports Center on January 6, 2007, against Maryland-Eastern Shore at 2 p.m.