Box Score
RALEIGH, March 12, 2008 – Raleigh is a lovely city this time of the year and there are several MEAC teams who do not want to leave the city just yet. The Florida A&M women’s basketball team was one of those teams. The Rattlers played the top-seeded North Carolina A&T Aggies tough throughout Wednesday morning’s MEAC Tournament quarterfinal matchup before the Aggies pulled away late for a 76-65 win.

It was the Aggies first win in the tournament since 2002 and it is their first semifinal appearance in 12 years. Nancy Rembert led the way with 17 points on 7-for-13 shooting. Amber Bland and Lamona Smalley added doubles as Bland finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds and Smalley ended the day with 11 points and 10 boards.

The Aggies out-rebounded the Rattlers 51-29 to improve to 24-6 while the Rattlers season came to an end at 14-17. The Aggies avenged their tournament loss to the Rattlers from last season.

“This is the tournament,’’ said Bibbs. “Postseason losses mean you go home, and Florida A&M didn’t want to go home anymore than we did. We knew coming into this tournament there were not going to be any easy wins.”

The Rattlers certainly didn’t make it easy on the Aggies. They led by as many as nine in the first half. Even in the second half when the Aggies usually make their signature run toward a blowout win, the Rattlers withstood the punch and remained competitive.

“If I could figure out why we can’t put 40 minutes together we would be able to put 40 minutes together,’’ said Bibbs. “The thing I love is that we kept fighting. We faced a tough challenge tonight and we got through it.”

After trailing 32-30 at the half, the Aggies opened the second half on a on a 13-2 run to take a 43-34 lead with 17:06 to play. Instead of folding, the Rattlers used a series of baseline jumpers from Stephanie Foster and the guard play of Evette Young to stay in the game. Foster, who had followed up her 26-point performance against the Aggies on Feb. 9 with 22 points on Wednesday, hit a baseline jumper with 11:13 to play gave the Rattlers the lead back at 51-50.

The Aggies used a 9-2 run led by freshman Jalessa Sams who scored six points during the run to take a 59-53 lead. After a Foster layup and two Taniyah Dawson free throws cut the lead to two, the Aggies missed a series of jump shots.

Therefore, the order was for the ball to go inside. The Aggies scored 12 straight points in the paint. Brittanie Taylor-James started the action in the paint with a layup that was followed by an aggressive layup in the lane by Nancy Rembert. Young hit a three to cut the lead to one at 63-62 with 4:20 to play, but the Aggies continued to get easy baskets inside.

Smalley scored on a post-up move followed by Sams penetrating into the lane for a layup. After Young turnover, Smalley scored again inside and Cook closed the run by taking a Smalley pass on the fast break and finishing with a wide open layup.

“I don’t mind those jump shots, but you’re not going to make them pay for playing that zone by missing a bunch of jump shots. We had to make some aggressive moves to the basket. We had to get our offense going.”

The Aggies will continue their march in the tournament on Friday at noon when they play the winner of Hampton/Maryland-Eastern Shore. The Aggies swept UMES and split with Hampton. The Pirates were the only conference team to defeat the Aggies during the regular-season.

“They’re both great programs,’’ said Bibbs. “Both teams pose big challenges for my ladies. But it doesn’t matter who you are playing this time of the year, you’re going to meet a challenging team that trying to keep its season going.”