Bland goes 5-for-5 from 3-point range

Box Score
GREENSBORO, January 17, 2009 – Coaches on the plus side of a blowout typically like to find little details to critique in order to keep their team from becoming complacent and content after the win.

Patricia Cage-Bibbs’ North Carolina A&T women’s basketball team gave her all the ammunition she needed Saturday afternoon after the Aggies defeated Maryland-Eastern Shore 82-46 at Corbett Sports Center. Preseason MEAC Player of the Year Amber Bland led the Aggies with 23 points on 5-for-5 shooting from 3-point range. Bland also had six rebounds, four steals, four assists and no turnovers.

The conference’s leading scorer Brittanie Taylor-James added 17 and seven rebounds. The Aggies shot 53.3 percent from the floor after shooting 61.3 percent in the first half. They shot 70 percent from 3-point range and collected 17 steals on the day.

So what could possibly being upsetting about cruising to victory over a team that possesses a first-team all-conference selection in April McBride and last season’s conference rookie of the year in Casey Morton?

After it appeared the Aggies would have no problem scoring 100 points after reaching 70 seven minutes into the second half, the Aggies went seven minutes without scoring and 8 ½ minutes without a field goal. Bibbs pounced on that stretch of the game like a hungry tiger going after prey.

“I know what the score says,’’ said Bibbs. “But I refuse to accept this is the best we can do. I tell my ladies, ‘You are never as good as you think you are. You can always get better. When you start thinking you are better than what you really are, that’s when you lose.’”

There were some circumstances that could have led to the Aggies drought. After going ahead 70-37, the Aggies started to experiment with different lineups. Not to mention, the Hawks went as cold as the Aggies did over almost the same amount of time. But those facts didn’t console Bibbs.

“When I put people in the game off my bench, I don’t expect to lose anything,’’ she said. “We’re looking for people to step up when the starters or the top two or three people aren’t in the game. What happens if Brittanie or Amber get into foul trouble? There needs to be people on that bench who are ready to play.”

Bibbs didn’t have many complaints about the way the Aggies played prior to hitting a lull. With the Aggies leading 27-23 with 8:18 remaining in the first half, Taylor-James took a bounce pass from Lamona Smalley in the post and scored to spark that ended with a Jaleesa Sams steal and a Taylor-James 3-pointer that gave the Aggies a 39-23.

The Aggies (10-5, 4-0 MEAC) never let the Hawks get any closer than 13 the rest of the way and led 49-30 at halftime. Out of the locker room, the Aggies went on a 10-2 run to solidify the blowout. Therefore, Bibbs and the Aggies accomplished their main objective.

“Anytime you can get a conference win at home, it’s big,’’ said Bibbs.

It was the Aggies 14^th straight win at home, but Bibbs has plenty of reasons for wanting to keep her team sharp. They will host Delaware State Monday night at 6 in Corbett. The Hornets are also undefeated in the conference at 3-0.