Box Score
RALEIGH, December 16, 2007 – Time off for a basketball team normally leads to the expectation of the team will be rusty and out of sync.

For the North Carolina A&T women’s basketball team, time off meant improvement. Although the Aggies lost to N.C. State 75-61 Sunday afternoon at Kay Yow Court, the Aggies performed a lot better than their previous outing against an ACC opponent.

Lamona Smalley led the Aggies with 14 points and 11 rebounds as she recorded her fourth career double-double. Jaleesa Sams and Amber Bland also scored in double figures with 12 and 10 respectively. The Wolfpack’s Khadijah Whittington finished with 21 points and 14 rebounds, while teammate Megan Zullo added 15 on 5-for-6 shooting from 3-point range.

 “We played with this team,’’ said head coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs. “We didn’t make the plays we needed to make at crucial times, but we got better and that’s encouraging. The ladies are starting to see the things they need to do to be successful.”

ACC member Virginia Tech shot 57 percent against the Aggies a week-and-half ago and defeated the Aggies by 29 points. Early on, it looked as if the Wolfpack would do the same thing until the Aggies began to execute. After falling down 14-3 in the first half, the Aggies find themselves trailing just 47-41 five minutes into the second half.

Sams had a chance to cut the lead to four but missed a runner in the lane. The Wolfpack took advantage as Nikitta Gartrell drove to the basket and was fouled by Ta’Wuana Cook. The reversal of fortune helped the Wolfpack score the next six points to take a 14-point lead.

The Aggies fought back to cut the Wolfpack’s lead to eight, 55-47, on a Smalley jumper with 11:40 remaining in the game. The Aggies had a chance to trim the lead even further, but turned the ball. The turnover led to a transition opportunity for N.C. State in which Fields was open in the corner for a 3-pointer that put the Wolfpack up by double figures again.

The Aggies never got the lead under double figures again as they fell to 6-3 on the season. The Aggies return to action Wednesday night at 7 when they face Campbell at Corbett Sports Center.

“I thought we matched up well with them physically – we out-rebounded them, but we didn’t do the small things,’’ said Bibbs. “I’m proud of the way we fought tonight. Once they start seeing things on the floor they can exploit without us having to tell it to them, we’ll be a team smart of enough to win these type of ballgames.”

The Aggies found themselves down 14-3 early in the game. Brittanie Taylor-James pulled the Aggies to within seven on a jump shot at the 10:04 mark of the first half. The Wolfpack answered with Gartrell jumper. Sams began to make it a competitive game with a 3-point play that cut the Wolfpack’s lead to 21-15 with 7:51 remaining in the first half. Three minutes later, Taylor-James made things even tighter with a three from the left elbow to cut the Wolfpack’s lead to 27-22. A Cook steal and layup cut the lead to three; the Wolfpack hit two free throws to go up 29-24.

Sams answered with another Aggies 3-pointer to make it 29-27. The Aggies had a chance to tie the game after a Wolfpack turnover, but Bland wasn’t able to connect on the jump shot. Again, the missed opportunity would prove costly as the Wolfpack went on a 9-2 run to end the half.