WASHINGTON, D.C., February 21, 2005 – N.C. A&T men’s basketball coach calls it another part of the process. On Monday, the Aggies snapped a 31-game road losing streak that extended back to the 2002-2003 season by beating Howard 67-63 at Burr Gymnasium.

Freshman Jason Wills had his best game of the season, finishing with 15 points and eight rebounds. Sean Booker chipped in with 17 and Rechodd Carter ended the day with 11. The Aggies win also marked the first time they have swept an opponent since the 2001-2002 season.

“All good things come in time,’’ said Eaves. “We’re slowly getting this program back to where it needs to be, so everything for us is a process, a small step in getting us toward that goal of being an excellent program.”

“It gets frustrating sometimes because I want to give (them an excellent program) right now, but I can’t. It’s something we’re going to have to earn and tonight was a step in that direction.”

Howard appeared to be on its way to snapping out of its funk when it took a 31-24 lead to the locker room and extended it to 47-35 at the 11:10 mark. But the Aggies stepped up their full-court pressure and went on an 18-5 run that gave them a 53-52 lead at the 6:45 mark. It was a deep three pointer by Booker that completed the run.

“We just stayed with what we do,” Eaves said. “We continued to press in the second half and got a little more engaged. I think Howard got a little tired and we were able to take advantage of it.”

“This is an important because with the tournament coming up, we know we can go on a neutral floor and win.”

From there, the two teams exchanged blows with neither taking more than a four-point lead. Along the way, there were three ties and five lead changes.

The game eventually boiled down to who would make free throws and the Aggies did a better job, hitting on five of eight in the last minute with Wills accounting for four and Carter three.

The Bison failed to get convert on their last two possessions and North Carolina A&T escaped with the win to complete the sweep.

Howard got a career-high 19 points from freshman walk-on Reggie Bates, 13 from Will Gant and 12 from Darryl Hudson.

Monday, marked the final road game of the season for N.C. A&T. The Aggies improved to 5-21 overall and 4-11 in the MEAC. Their five wins are more wins than they have had the last two seasons combined. The Aggies face Florida A&M 4 p.m., Saturday at the Corbett Sports Center.

KOGER REACHES MILESTONE

IN AGGIES LOSS

Senior guard Steven Koger scores exceeds the 1,000-point plateau

DOVER, DEL., February 19, 2005 – N.C. A&T senior guard Steven Koger has not compiled as many wins at N.C. A&T as he would like, but he said he has compiled enough of life’s lessons to carry him throughout life.

On Saturday, Koger scored 18 points on 6-for-10 shooting, but the Aggies were defeated by Delaware State 69-59 in Dover, Del. In the process, however Koger scored point No. 1000 in his four-year Aggies career.

“I feel good about it. I think it’s a great accomplishment for my collegiate career,’’ Koger said. “Not many guys reach this point, so it’s something to be proud of.”

With 8:32 remaining in the game, Koger was fouled by Delaware State’s Bruce Davis. The call sent Koger to the line. The first of his two made free throws gave him the milestone.

Koger’s free throws pulled the Aggies to within two, 44-42, after they had trailed by 10 just three minutes earlier.

The Aggies stayed within striking distance, and with 3:13 remaining Jason Wills moved them even closer at 55-54.

Delaware State answered by scoring 12 of the next 16 points to regain control of the game. The Hornets opened up a 67-58 lead on two free throws by Bluntt with 34 seconds left.

Terrance Hunter scored a season-high 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead Delaware State. The loss snapped a two-game losing streak for the Hornets, who improved to 12-13 overall and 10-4 in the MEAC. N.C. A&T fell to 4-21 and 3-11. Jahsha Bluntt added 17 points for Delaware State, while Sean Booker had 14 for the Aggies.

“I would have preferred (the 1,000^th point) happen and we win,’’ Koger said. “But getting to this point has helped me realize I can handle adversity better than I thought I could before I got here.”

The Aggies travel to Washington, D.C., to face Howard on Monday at 2 p.m.

N.C. A&T MEN’S BASKETBALL PROGRAM NAMED 62ND BEST ALL-TIME

Street & Smith’s magazine ranked the Aggies basketball program No. 62 all time

GREENSBORO, N.C., February 15, 2005 – N.C. A&T men’s basketball team’s accomplishments and standout players are numerous. So much so, they caught the attention of a national publication. In Street & Smith’s specialty publication of the greatest college basketball programs of all time, its assembled panel ranked the N.C. A&T men’s program No. 62 all time.

The magazine article pointed out the Aggies seven straight conference tournament championships (1982-1988), the 156-51 record during the 80’s, the 16 MEAC tournament titles and the legendary players from N.C. A&T like current Golden State Warriors front office executive Al Attles, senior NBA official Hugh Evans and the Aggies all-time leading scorer (2,143) and rebounder (1,257) Joe Binion.

Former Aggies coach Don Corbett and his 249 wins between1979-93 were also mentioned in the article. Street & Smith’s writer William T. Conroy wrote: “Despite the prolific individuals like Evans, Attles Corbett and Binion, it is A&T’s team success that has brought the Aggies the most acclaim. In fact, only six teams in the history of basketball have won more consecutive conference championships than the seven the Aggies won during Corbett’s tenure.”

The Aggies are six wins away from 800 all time. The Aggies have more NCAA tournament appearances (nine), more MEAC regular-season championships (11) and more conference wins (278) than any other MEAC school. The former CIAA school also has five championships from that conference. The current group of Aggies returns to the floor Saturday afternoon when they face Delaware State in Dover, Del., at 4.

The Aggies return home on Saturday, Feb. 26 to face Florida A&M at 4 p.m.

YOUTHFUL AGGIES DROP CLOSE ROAD GAME TO NORFOLK STATE

Spartans attempt 27 free throws; Aggies attempt seven

NORFOLK, Va., February 14, 2005 – Mistakes, bad shots and bad decisions are something N.C. A&T men’s basketball coach Jerry Eaves knows he has to endure before he can see the day the Aggies are atop the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference because his team is young.
On Monday, the Aggies fought back, had a chance to take the lead late and perhaps win. But the difference was, the Aggies had two freshmen and a sophomore on the floor, while Norfolk State had two seniors and a junior.
The Spartans’ experience helped them to a 56-51 win over the Aggies, earning their first sweep of the Aggies since joining the conference in 1997. Senior Chakowby Hicks led the Spartans with 20 points and eight rebounds.
Sophomore guard Sean Booker broke out of his two-game slump to lead the Aggies with 17 points, while freshman Demetrius Guions finished with 10.
“The one thing about our kids is they don’t give up,’’ Eaves said. “But we’re young. Plain and simple, we’re young. We’ve got babies on the floor and they have full grown men. Now in a few years, my babies will be men and the other team’s men will be gone.”
Eaves has settled into the notion that he’s going to have to play his youngsters. So much so, he’s started Guions three games a row, which goes against his philosophy of not starting freshman.
He contributes the Aggies slow start on Monday to his youth. The Aggies went the first 8:45 of the game without a point. The Aggies first basket was on a goaltending call, so their first basket didn’t go through the hoop until Guions followed his own miss with a layup at the 8:31 of the first half.
Fortunately for the Aggies, they only trailed 15-4, and even rallied to get to within six – 29-23 – at the half.
N.C. A&T, who trailed by as many as 10 in the second half, rallied to tie the game at 49 with 4:30 to play. The Spartans pushed the lead to four on a Curtis Bunn layup and two Hicks free throws.
Rechodd Carter then drove to the basket and drew a foul from Armand Massogo. Carter knocked down both free throws to pull the Aggies to within two, 53-51. After a missed three by Hicks with 1:14 to play, the Aggies had a chance to tie the game. However freshman Jason Wills, whose playing time has also increased lately, overthrew a cutting Booker with 64 seconds to play.
Massogo would miss a 3-pointer on the Spartans ensuing possession, but 6-foot-9 Karandick Ogunride, who was three inches taller than the tallest Aggie, grabbed the offensive board.
The Aggies were force to foul Bunn. He hit one of two free throws to keep the Aggies to within striking distance at 54-51. But when Rechodd Carter’s layup rolled off the rim, the Aggies had endured another tough road loss.
“That’s been the story of our whole season,’’ Eaves said. “We simply don’t capitalize on key opportunities. We’ll have our chances, but we’ll miss a layup here, a free throw there and we lose it. But we’re patient because it’s going to come.”
The Aggies face Delaware State on the road this Saturday, and then travel to Washington, D.C. to face the Bison of Howard. They return home on Saturday, Feb. 26 to face Florida A&M at 4 p.m.

WOEFUL FIRST HALF HURTS AGGIES

The Aggies top two leading scorers – Sean Booker and Steven Koger –

were a combined 1-for-20 from the floor

HAMPTON, Va., February 12, 2005 – N.C. A&T is in a lull it hopes to be out of when the MEAC tournament arrives in March. Hampton meanwhile looked ready for March on Saturday.

The Pirates held the Aggies to 16 first-half points on their way to a 65-47 win. Devin Green led the Pirates with 25 points and 13 rebounds, while Bruce Brown added 15 points and nine rebounds.

For the first time all season, the Aggies did not have a player score in double figures. Rechodd Carter had nine and Demetrius Guions, who made his second straight start, ended the game with eight. The Aggies top two scorers – Sean Booker and Steven Koger – were just 1-for-20 from the floor.

“All teams go through what we’re going through,’’ said N.C. A&T men’s basketball coach Jerry Eaves said after his team lost for the second straight time by double figures. “We’re a young team going against a veteran team that is well coached and well prepared, so we need to learn how play through those nights when the shots aren’t falling as easy.”

The Aggies hit only six shots in the first half. None of the Aggies jump shots would drop. The Pirates meanwhile went inside to 6-foot-11 Bruce Brown, who leads the nation in field goal shooting. With Hampton up by 13-7 eight minutes into the game, Brown scored on three straight dunks during 7-2 run that put the Pirates up 20-9.

Booker connected on a 3-pointer to cut the lead to eight before it was Green’s turn to take over. Green scored 10 points, including two dunks during a 16-1 run to put Hampton up 36-13. The lead would increase to 43-16 by the half.

The Aggies would get the lead down to 16 with 2:45 to play on a Gregory Davis 3-point play. N.C. A&T forced Hampton into 16 and 28 percent shooting in the second half.

“You can press all game and not have the right attitude and nothing will come of it,’’ Eaves said. “The difference in the second half was attitude. We acted like we wanted the basketball in the second half and it worked.

“When we played them in our gym, we were up 15 and we controlled things because we had the right attitude. Tonight, we let them control things, and we’re not experienced enough to overcome a slow start.”

The Aggies will stay in the Tidewater area to face Norfolk State on Monday at 7:30 p.m. They don’t return home until February 26 when they face Florida A&M at 4 p.m.

AGGIES FALL TO MORGAN STATE ON THE ROAD

Bears out-rebound Aggies 52-27

BALTIMORE, Md., February 10, 2005 – It was a night where N.C. A&T got to the free throw line, received open looks and forced turnovers with their pressure defense.

It was also a night where the hustle stats went Morgan State’s way. The Bears got 20 points and 11 rebounds – six on the offensive end – from Ronald Timus to down the Aggies 71-54 Thursday night in Baltimore.

“They crashed the boards and made the most of their opportunities and we simply did not,’’ said N.C. A&T head men’s basketball Jerry Eaves. “It was a close game when we played them Monday, so they came in here ready to fight. We didn’t come in here with that same sense of urgency.”

Michael Hayes, who didn’t start a game he played in for the first time this season, led the Aggies with 11 points. Freshman Demetrius Guions did get the start, marking the first time in the Eaves era when a freshman started.

Hayes, Guions and the rest of the Aggies had trouble keeping Timus away from the ball once it came off the rim. Timus scored 12 of the Bears first 16 points of the game and grabbed three offensive rebounds in the process. As if Timus wasn’t enough, Brand began to score not off of rebounds but off of his shooting touch.

Brand hit three straight 3-pointers to push the Bears lead to 31-13 with 5:27 remaining in the first half. The Aggies fought back. When Guions intercepted a Chris Warfield pass and scored on a layup, the Aggies had completed a 12-0 run to go into the locker room down 31-25.

Out of the locker room, point guard Rechodd Carter scored on a 3-point play to reduce Morgan State’s lead to three.

It would not get any better the rest of the night. The Aggies trailed 40-35 after a Jason Wills layup with 15:50 remaining. The Aggies next field goal did not occur until the 6:54 mark of the second half. By the time Gregory Davis hit the field goal, Morgan State’s lead had ballooned to 59-37.

“We just didn’t hit our shots,’’ Eaves said. “You can run the play and get the look you want, but into the ball goes through the hoop it’s all for not.”

The Aggies fell to 4-18 overall and 3-8 in the MEAC. They will try to break their 28-game road-losing streak at Hampton on Saturday at 6 p.m.

BEARS GET IN A ZONE, DEFEAT AGGIES

Aggies shoot just 22 percent from the foul line in the second half

GREENSBORO, N.C., February 7, 2005 – The N.C. A&T men’s basketball team proved to Aaron Andrews and his Morgan State teammates it could score around the basket.

So, Andrews and company wanted the Aggies to prove something else. Can they knock down the outside shot? The Aggies had a hard time finding that kind of evidence as they shot 30 percent in the second half on their way to a 63-61 loss to Morgan State.

Aggies guard Steven Koger had a chance to win the game with 0.8 seconds remaining, but his shot was off the mark. The Aggies fell to 4-17, 3-7 in the conference, while the Bears improved to 8-13, 6-5 in the MEAC.

Ronald Timus came off the bench to lead the Bears with 21 points and 13 rebounds on 7-for-11 shooting. Sean Booker led the Aggies with 22 points, while Rechodd Carter finished with 13 points and five assists.

“They have a team full of guys who can slash to the basket and make things happen,’’ said Andrews. “They’re real good and driving and dishing to the open shooter. We wanted to see if we could turn them into strictly a jump shooting team, so we went to a zone and it seemed to bother them.”

The Aggies did miss a number of perimeter shots, but thanks to 15 offensive rebounds, they did have their share of shots around the basket. Those opportunities went for not as they missed 11 shots around the basket in the second half.

“We had to try hard to find a way to lose this game tonight, and we did,’’ said coach Jerry Eaves. “We simply gave it to them.”

Freshman Jason Wills, who came off the bench and had the best game of his young career with seven points, gave the Aggies their final lead of the ball as he banged inside for a layup that gave N.C. A&T a 53-51 lead with 7:52 to play.

The Bears scored the next seven points as the Aggies went on a 3 ½ minute drought. The spurt gave the Bears a 58-53 lead with 4:14 remaining. Two consecutive Bears turnovers, however, led to consecutive fastbreak points as the Aggies crawled back to within one with 2:28 to play.

The Aggies next field goal did not occur until two minutes and seven seconds later, unfortunately. Down 63-58, Sean Booker connected on a 3-pointer. A Morgan State turnover gave the Aggies 18 seconds to win or tie the game. But Booker missed a three and Koger’s last-second effort went wide left.

“We were out of sync once they went zone,’’ Carter said. “It threw us off when it really should not have. We get to see them again this week and I think we’ll be ready for what they throw at us.”

The Aggies will travel to Baltimore to face the Bears on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. The Aggies don’t return home until Feb. 26 when they face Florida A&M.

AGGIES LOSE IN OVERTIME TO COPPIN STATE

N.C. A&T guards Steven Koger and Sean Booker score a combined 50 points

GREENSBORO, N.C., February 5, 2005 – N.C. A&T went scoreless for the first four minutes of overtime on Saturday and never recover as Coppin State left the Corbett Sports Center with a 79-74 overtime win.

The Aggies, who had connected from 3-point range in regulation, missed three 3-pointers and turned the ball over three times with their first six possessions of overtime. Meanwhile, the Eagles went inside to Darryl Proctor as has been their norm in regulation.

It paid off for the Eagles as Proctor scored four points in 8-0 run that gave the Eagles a 71-63 lead with a minute remaining in overtime. The Aggies were able to get to within three with 27 seconds remaining as Steven Koger hit his career-high seventh 3-pointer to cut the lead to 75-72.

The Eagles free throw shooting, however, was steady enough down the stretch to pull out the victory.

“There is a profound difference between struggling offensively and dropping the ball when you’re in position to score,’’ said N.C. A&T men’s basketball coach Jerry Eaves. ”We had our opportunities, we were in position to get some easy scores, but when you give the ball away it will cost you.”

Coppin State’s duo of Proctor and Nicholas King out-scored the Aggies duo of Koger and Sean Booker by one point.

The Eagles combo finished a combined 51 points as Procter ended the night with 31 points and nine rebounds. King finished with 20. The Koger-Booker duo had 50 points. Koger ended the night with a career-high 27 points on 7-for-11 shooting from 3-point range. Booker had 23.

Booker helped the Aggies force overtime as he rolled to the basket and drew a foul with nine seconds remaining in regulation. Booker hit both free throws, and the Eagles next possession they were not able to get off a shot against a stingy Aggies defense.

“I think we’re a well-conditioned team at this point,’’ Eaves said. “I have to give the guys credit for that. They were able to scrap and fight at the end to play in the overtime. But like I have said before, we need to put everything together to be the team we need to be.”

The win drops the Aggies to 4-16 overall, 3-6 in the MEAC, while Coppin State remained in a first-place tie atop with Delaware State atop the MEAC as it improved to 9-11 and 9-2.

The Aggies return to Corbett on Monday to face Morgan State at 7:30 p.m.

AGGIES BEAT UMES, WIN THIRD STRAIGHT AT HOME

With the win N.C. A&T matches its win total

from the last two seasons combined

GREENSBORO, N.C., January 29, 2005 – By next season, N.C. A&T men’s basketball coach Jerry Eaves hopes his team will no longer need a walker.

N.C. A&T got 16 points from Sean Booker and 15 points on 7-for-9 shooting from Jeff Alvis to earn a 74-59 win over Maryland-Eastern Shore on an icy night outside of the Corbett Sports Center.

The win matches the Aggies (4-15, 3-5 MEAC) win total from the last two seasons combined. It also matches the Aggies conference win total of last season.

“Last year we crawled,’’ said Eaves. “This year we’re pulling up on the furniture trying to walk. By next year we’ll be walking. It’s all about maturing. Right now, guys want to play, they want to score, they want to improve, they want to get up and down the floor and play good defense.

That’s a good thing. But can you come out and do it on a consistent basis? We’re still asking ourselves that question.”

The Aggies put together perhaps their best game on paper. They turned the ball over a season-low 11 times, and shot better than 50 percent from the field for the first time in 23 games.

The Aggies took their biggest lead of the game three minutes into the second half as a Jeff Alvis layup gave the Aggies a 43-31 lead.

Thanks to three straight Louis Brookins’ baskets, the Hawks scored the next six points to pull within six. The run prompted an Aggies timeout and a change in attitude. The Aggies put together a run in which their next eight field goals came in the paint on a layups and dunks.

When Sean Booker broke the string by hitting a 3-pointer from the left corner, the Aggies had expanded to a 64-47 advantage with 6:40 remaining. N.C. A&T shot 56 percent in the second half.

“We played like a team tonight,’’ Booker said. “We go into spells where we play selfish at times, and really don’t get the easy looks by making the extra pass. We made the extra pass tonight and it made a difference.”

Corey Brown led the Fighting Hawks with 16 points, but committed 10 turnovers on the night. Teammate Tim Parham added 11 points and 11 rebounds.

The Aggies will try to make it four straight home wins on Saturday, Feb. 5, when they face Coppin State at 4 p.m. The Eagles won a December match-up against the Aggies, 67-53.

“We shot 46 percent from the free throw line; we shot 15 percent from the 3-point arc. If we ever put it all together, we’ll be dangerous. But we’re definitely growing, we’re definitely improving.”

WILDCATS DEFEAT AGGIES IN DOUBLE OT

Aggies place five players in double figures for the first time this season

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., January 24, 2005 – N.C. A&T head coach Jerry Eaves sees improvement in his basketball team. He sees the perception about his team being an easy win on the schedule changing. He even sees his seniors starting to become leaders.

What he hasn’t seen is all the small steps forward translate into wins. The Aggies rallied from a 16-point halftime deficit on the road, but fell short 83-78 in double overtime at Bethune-Cookman’s Moore Gymnasium.

“We’re getting close, that’s all I can tell you,’’ Eaves said. “We’re right where we need to be, but we can’t get where we want to go. A year ago, we probably would not have been good enough to take a team to overtime on the road. This year we’re good enough, we just weren’t good enough to win it.”

The reason behind not winning it probably lied somewhere between missed free throws (26-for-40) and Wildcats guard Antonio Webb. Webb finished with 35 points on 7-for-9 3-point shooting. Jeff Alvis led five Aggies in double figures with a career-high 16 points.

Aggies forward Greg Roberts scooped up a loose ball and launched a 3-pointer with 16 seconds remaining in regulation to tie the game at 63. On the Wildcats ensuing possession, Webb passed up an open eight-footer and dished off to Michael Williams, who missed a chance to win the game, forcing overtime.

It would mark the last time Webb passed up anything. After a Steven Koger layup gave the Aggies a 71-70 lead with a minute remaining in the first overtime, N.C. A&T freshman Demetrius Guions had an opportunity to make life harder for the Wildcats.

But he made only one of two shots from the free throw line with 17 seconds remaining, giving the Aggies a 72-70 lead. Koger would then foul Webb as Webb drove to the basket. Webb knocked down two free throws, forcing overtime No. 2.

Nothing changed in the second overtime. The Aggies continued to take leads and Webb continued to take them back. An Alvis layup put the Aggies up two, a Webb 3-pointer put the Wildcats up one, 75-74. In fact, Webb scored all 11 points for the Wildcats in the second overtime.

Aggies point guard Rechodd Carter tied the game at 75 by making one of two free throws, and Guions (12 points, 5 rebounds) put the Aggies up three on a 3-point play. Webb never stopped surfing for ways to break the Aggies.

He pushed the ball down the floor and without hesitation tied the game at 78 with his second 3-pointer of the two overtimes. After a Roberts miss, Webb gave the Wildcats the lead for good with a short jump shot that gave the Wildcats an 80-78 lead with 1:09 remaining in double overtime.

“Before we went into the first overtime, I told (Webb) to stop passing the ball,’’ said Bethune-Cookman coach Clifford Reed. “I thought he was trying to be a little too unselfish. The shot he passed up at the end of regulation probably was the game winner. I know he has the talent to take over games, and this was a perfect opportunity to take over.”

The Aggies fall to 3-15, 2-5 in the MEAC, while Bethune-Cookman improved to 7-10, 4-3 in the conference. The Aggies will again try to move their small steps into big wins when Maryland-Eastern Shore visits the Corbett Sports Center at 4 p.m., Saturday.

The UMES match-up will be the first of a three-game homestand featuring the three MEAC Maryland teams. Coppin State visits on Saturday afternoon, Feb. 5 at 4, and Morgan State comes in on Monday, Feb. 7 at 7:30 p.m.

RATTLERS REBOUND, DEFEAT AGGIES

Florida A&M out-rebounded N.C. A&T 57-30

TALLAHASSEE, Fla., January 22, 2005 – Florida A&M needed to rebound from the loss of starting guard Glenn Elliott, an ankle injury to forward Michael Ayodele and even after halftime of the Rattlers game with N.C. A&T on Saturday, point guard Tony Tate became ill.

So rebound is just what the Rattlers did in a 93-86 win over the Aggies at Gaither Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon.

The Rattlers out-rebounded the Aggies 57-30, marking the most rebounds a team has grabbed against the Aggies, and the largest rebounding disparity of the season. The Rattlers 26 offensive boards – another season-high versus the Aggies – led to 21 second-chance points.

“We made them do what we wanted them do,’’ said N.C. A&T coach Jerry Eaves. “They took quick shots, they weren’t fluid in their offense sets, but what simply didn’t rebound the basketball. We’re going to put it all together sometime soon.”

Freshman Jon Mason was 8-for-14 from the floor, 4-for-7 from 3-point range and finished with 20 points. Mason led five other Rattlers in double figures, including Tate, who finished with 14 points and nine assists. Tate had to switch jerseys at halftime because he threw up on his regular No. 11 jersey. Darius Glover added 13 points and 11 boards for the 4-10 Rattlers, who improved to 3-4 in the MEAC.

The Aggies (3-14, 2-3) were led by Steven Koger’s 23 points on 5-for-9 shooting from 3-point range. Sean Booker finished with 12 points and five boards before fouling out of his sixth game of the season.

The Aggies and the Rattlers put on an excellent display of shooting, which saw both teams shoot 57 percent from the floor. The Aggies were hurt, however, by 15 first-half turnovers that helped the Rattlers build a 53-43 lead with 1:07 remaining in the first half.

But two Jeff Alvis jump shots in the last minute of the first half pulled the Aggies to within six at the half. The Aggies would struggle to get any closer the rest of the night as the Rattlers took advantage 23 made free throws on 41 attempts.

A Sean Booker layup with 17:05 remaining in the game pulled the Aggies to within four points, 59-55. Florida A&M would have the answer, scoring the next eight points over a three-minute span to build a 12-point lead.

“They did what you’re supposed to do when a team traps – they attacked our press,’’ Eaves said. “Again, I think if we rebound tonight, there is a different result.”