North Carolina A&T Aggies Beat No. 18 Liberty Lady Flames

Greensboro, N.C. - The A.C. was definitely on in Corbett Sports Center on Friday night.

Redshirt junior Amber Calvin matched a career-high by scoring 24 points to help propel the North Carolina A&T women's basketball team (2-2) to an 81-74 win against Liberty (1-2), who was ranked 18th among mid-major schools by CollegeInsider.com.

"Amber is as cool as she wants to be when she's doing it," said N.C. A&T head coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs. "It's just great to have her back and to have Mikala (Scott)."

Scott finished with 19 points on 6-for-12 shooting. Calvin, who had just 16 points in her first three games, more than doubled her point total with her strong performance. The redshirt sophomore out of Fayetteville, N.C., returned this season after injuring her knee before the start of the 2010-11 season.

She went 6-for-8 from beyond the arc, with four of those coming in the first half, and 6-for-8 at the free throw line. Junior forward JaQuayla Berry had 16 points for the Aggies.

With 11:18 on the clock, the Flames pulled within seven points on a layup by Devon Brown, who finished the game with 14 points. The Aggies went five minutes without scoring, a drought that ended with 7:03 to play, as Berry hit a layup to give the Aggies a three-point lead.

Catherine Kearney brought the Flames within one, at 60-59 with a layup with 6:05 left on the clock. From there, the Aggies worked to keep out of their reach, with layups and free throws. Calvin had five free throws in the last two minutes to help put the game away for the Aggies. The Aggies, in addition to having a strong shooting night, ended the game with just 15 turnovers.

Box Score:  Aggies vs. Liberty

"They're a very young team, and to not lose their composure and to just keep doing positive things, is a sign that the chemistry is coming," Bibbs said.

The Aggies finished the first half with a 43-35 lead, propelled by 12 points by Calvin, all of which came from her strong 3-point shooting, 11 points by Scott, who also had a pair from beyond the arc, and 10 points by sophomore Tiffanie Adair.

Liberty pulled ahead to a quick 4-0 lead, but a pair of three-points from Scott and Calvin tied the game at 6. The Aggies took a 17-10 lead with a three-pointer from Calvin, and never trailed again. The Aggies hammered the bigger Flames on the inside, as Adair got inside the paint to score three times in the last five minutes of the first half.

The win marks the 488th career victory for Bibbs, who is now 12 away from joining the 500 win club. For Bibbs, this win against Liberty is one she really wanted.

"We didn't tell the ladies what this team was ranked. They found out later," she said. "I lost to this team, very close each time, seven times, not only here, but when I was at Hampton. I really wanted this win, I really did, and they gave it to me. "

The Aggies will be taking on ACC opponent Clemson on Monday at 7 p.m., in Corbett Sports Center. General admission tickets are $7, but N.C. A&T students can get into the game for free by showing their student OneCard. Bibbs hopes the momentum from the win against a ranked team will help the Aggies in Monday's match-up.

"This really shows us that we can play, that we can do all the things that we need to do. I think more than anything that Monday night is going to be a very, very tough game for us, but I think we're going to be ok, if we play like we did tonight," she said.

Courtesy: NC A&T Sports Information

North Carolina A&T signs four 3-star players for basketball

GREENSBORO, N.C. - In an attempt to add speed and versatility to the 2011-12 North Carolina A&T women's basketball team, head coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs has announced the signing of five new players.

Ariel Bursey, Kelsei Ewings, Chyanna "Chy" Cunningham, Kierra Dunnington, and Adriana Nazario will try to add to what has become a championship program at N.C. A&T. Bursey, Ewings, Dunnington and Nazario are considered three-star recruits (out of five stars) by ESPN HoopGurlz.

Recruiting expert Dan Olson of Collegiate Girls Basketball Report, called the Aggies' class "by far the best amongst all HBCUs."

Earlier this year, the Aggies inked Jaylan Bodiford (6-2, Ballard Louisville, Ky.), Jasmine Parker (6-2, A.L. Brown, Kannapolis, N.C.) and Eboni Ross (6-2, Eau Claire, Columbia, S.C.). Tiffanie Adair, a 2010 signee, will also be added to the Aggies roster this year, bringing the Aggies total number of newcomers to nine. Bodiford, Cunningham, and Ewings were McDonald's All-American nominees.

"There are some outstanding guards in our conference," said Bibbs. "We had to improve our depth and team speed so we can defend those guards. We want to be able to matchup with any lineup our opponents put on the floor."

Bursey (5-10, Western Harnett, Sanford, N.C.) is ranked the 35th best guard in the nation. Bursey enters her collegiate career with the reputation of being a scorer. Over the final two seasons of her high school career, she averaged 25.7 points and 12.2 rebounds per game. In the classroom, she earned a 4.2 grade point average. Her sister Trinity Bursey played at the University of North Carolina.

"She is super athletic and gets to the rim quickly," said Bibbs. "She is one of the highest rated players we have ever signed. She has good size and huge hands. But the thing I like about her most...she will play defense."

Ewings (5-5, West Point, West Point, Miss.) provides the Aggies with another scorer. She averaged 27.0 points and 6.0 assists per game. She is the No. 7 rated player in the state of Mississippi. ESPN HoopGurlz gives her a grade of 83 (out of 100), and ranks her as the 103rd best point guard in the country. In the Mississippi All-Star game, she was awarded Defensive Player of the Game.

"We are excited about finally having a smaller guard who can defend some of the small guards in our conference," said Bibbs. "She is lightning quick and a true menace defensively."

Cunningham (5-10, Tupelo, Tupelo, Miss.) is another Mississippi product headed to N.C. A&T. Ranked No. 17 in the state, Cunningham can play shooting guard, point guard and small forward. She is ranked 86th among guards in the nation. She averaged 13.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game.

"She is going to be able to do so many things for us," said Bibbs. "She is a versatile athlete who can defend several different positions."

Dunnington (5-10, Indian River, Chesapeake, Va.) averaged 17.7 points and 8.1 rebounds as a senior. Maxpreps.com ranked her the 77th best player in the state of Virginia. The Aggies, who shot 27.7 percent from 3-point range during the 2010-11 season, welcome her ability to knock down perimeter jump shots. She is ranked the 121st guard in the country.

"We are so pleased to be able to go into the Tidewater area and get a player of this quality," said Bibbs. "That is a tremendous accomplishment for our program. She is lightning quick on the defensive end, and she is going to hit some big threes for us."

Nazario's father Dre Nazario told ESPN HoopGurlz, "North Carolina A&T offers (Adriana) a family environment with a top notch education along with a competitive team that always has a goal of challenging for a championship." Nazario (5-8, George Washington, Charleston, WVa.) verbally committed to Virginia Tech originally, but later decided to come to Aggieland. She is ranked No. 7 in the state of West Virginia, and Jumpoffplus.com ranks her 140th in the nation.

"We landed a steal here," said Bibbs. "You're talking about a young lady who was an All-State performer and the conference player of the year. She will be a perfect fit here."

By North Carolina A&T State Sports Information
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NSU softball runs streak to nine games

Junior Whitney Holland (King’s Fork) had two three-RBI games as Norfolk State swept three straight softball games against MEAC rival North Carolina A&T Saturday and Sunday in Norfolk. The Lady Spartans (19-23, 6-6) won 1-0, 12-1 and 9-0 to go to a nine-game winning streak.

Holland, NSU’s third baseman a fifth-place hitter, hit a three-run home run, her third homer of the season, and had another game with two hits and three RBI in the series, taking her RBI total to 25. The Lady Spartans are building toward the MEAC Conference Tournament May 12-14 in Ormond Beach, Fla.

Wright, Schulle Named MEAC Player, Rookie of the Week

NORFOLK, Va. – Junior Danielle Wright and freshman Jamie Schulle of the Norfolk State softball team earned a pair of weekly honors on Monday afternoon, as the duo was named the MEAC Player and Rookie of the Week, respectively, by the conference office.

Wright batted .500 for the week (12-of-24) and added 12 runs, one double, two home runs and eight RBI to lead NSU to a 7-0 record last week. The center fielder out of Safety Harbor, Fla., also stole seven bases as the Spartans swept UMES and Hampton in a pair of mid-week doubleheaders before taking all three games against North Carolina A&T over the weekend. NSU ran its win streak to nine games and improved to 19-23 overall on the season, 6-6 in the MEAC.

In the last two games of the series against the Aggies, Wright hit 5-for-9 with five runs, five RBI and two home runs. In addition to ranking seventh in the league in hitting this season, Wright also ranks in the top 6 in runs, hits, home runs, runs batted in, slugging percentage and steals. NSU’s primary leadoff hitter currently leads the team with 37 runs, 49 hits, eight home runs, 29 RBI, a .598 slugging percentage, a .432 on-base percentage and 24 steals in addition to ranking second with a .371 average.

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Doyle, Holmes Lead Howard University Lady Bison Comeback Win Over North Carolina A&T Lady Aggies

Winston-Salem, NC - Saadia Doyle scored 17 of her game-high 28 points in the second half and Tamoria Holmes added 15 of her career-high 26 after intermission to help Howard come from a 22-point first half deficit and get by North Carolina A&T, 82-72 in the quarterfinal round of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference women's tournament at the Joel Coliseum.

The Lady Bison (15-17), the Number 6 seed, advance to the semifinal round where they will take on Morgan State, the Number 2 seed at 2:30 pm on Friday.

The Lady Aggies (15-14), the Number 3 seed, came out on fire, shooting a blistering 70 percent from the field overall, and 75 percent from three-point range (6 of 8). North Carolina A&T was in high gear, getting up and down the floor and seemingly hitting every shot that they threw up.

It resulted in what appeared to be an insurmountable 36-14 lead at the 5:49 mark. All the Lady Aggie players got into the scoring act, led by Jaquayla Berry (9 points), Mikala Scott (9 points), Tracy King (8) and Reisha Bullock (7 ).



But the young Bison, which start four sophomores settled down and began to mount their comeback. Led by Doyle and Holmes, who combined for 22 first half points, Howard reeled off a 19-7 run over the last five minutes of the first half to reduce the deficit to 43-33 at the break.

"I told the team not to quit," said a composed Howard Coach Niki Reid Geckeler. "To keep fighting. And I think that is what they did, just believing that they could still win."

The Lady Bison continued their comeback at the start of the second half on the scoring of Doyle, who singlehandedly got her team back into the game, at one point scoring 9 straight points. The comeback became complete when a 16-6 run knotted the game at 49-all at the 14:13 mark.

"They did a good job driving to the basket and getting to the line,' said NC A&T Coach Patricia Cage Bibbs. "They went man to man and you have to be able to execute. They did a great job."

Added NC A&T' s Berry, a first team All-MEAC selection, "They were all in our face in the man to man and the adjustments they made seemed to work."

From there, it became a seesaw battle that featured several ties and lead changes. The Lady Aggies relied on the scoring of Mikala Scott, Reisha Bullock and Nikia Gorham to keep it close.

Howard countered on the play of Holmes, who took over where Doyle left off, once scoring 13 of her team's 16 points during a key stretch. The Lady Bison were also able to get key contributions from sophomore point guard Cheyenne Curley Payne, who scored 10 of her 16 in the second half, including a big three pointer and some clutch free throws.

"Of course, the performance of Saadia Doyle and Tamoria Holmes was huge for the day," said Geckeler. "The run by Tamoria was huge. It gave us a lot of energy and confidence."

Other significant contributions came from reserves Jerelle Gorham (5 points) and Portia Deterville ( 7 points).

After Bullock knocked down two free throws to cut the deficit to 76-72 with 1:26 remaining, the Lady Bison held the Lady Aggies scoreless as Curley Payne converted free throws to seal the victory and send Howard to the semifinals for the second straight year.

Doyle, the MEAC Player of the Year and a first team All-conference selection, just missed a double double with 28 points and 9 rebounds while playing the entire 40 minutes. Holmes shot 10 of 14 from the field and added three assists and three steals to her stats.

"Adrenalin and staying calm was a key," said Doyle. "We did not want to get overzealous. We just kept fighting and never gave up."

Scott led North Carolina A&T with 17 while Bullock and Berry each tallied 13 in a losing effort.

By Jamilah Corbitt, Assistant Director of Sports Information
Howard University
Visit: howard-bison.com



Videographer: billy7163; (#1)Pharoah Sanders "Naima" with the Howard University Jazz Ensemble. (#2)"The Creator Has a Master Plan" - Pharoah Sanders and Howard University Jazz Ensemble

Herd women falter late in 57-53 loss to North Carolina A&T

HUNTINGTON, WV -- It was only fitting that the last set play of the Marshall University women's basketball game Saturday was a turnover. On a night when Marshall and North Carolina A&T combined for 53 turnovers, the Aggies used a 17-6 run over the last nine minutes of the game to earn a 57-53 win over the Thundering Herd. A crowd of only 189 in Cam Henderson Center saw the Herd drop to 2-6.

"I think we turned it over about every way you can and we didn't play tough down the stretch when we needed to," Marshall coach Royce Chadwick said. "We just didn't execute as well as I would have hoped at this stage of the game." Marshall had several chances to win down the stretch but didn't come up with points when needed.

Gallery: Marshall Women's Basketball vs North Carolina A&T

Marshall Women's Basketball Falls Short Against North Carolina A&T, 57-53

Marshall’s Tynikki Crook posted her third double-double of the season with a game-high 25 points and 12 rebounds but it wasn’t enough to push the Herd past North Carolina A&T, 57-53, in Saturday night’s non-conference women’s basketball game at the Cam Henderson Center.

The Thundering Herd drops its second-straight, falling to 2-6 on the season while the Aggies improve to 3-4 and grab its first-ever win against MU bringing the series to 2-1 in favor of the Herd.

In a battle of two win teams, both struggled to gain control early combining for three turnovers in as many possessions. The Herd shot 14-of-20 from the field, 70%, in the opening stanza to grab a 33-30 advantage at the break.

Aggies Knock Off Marshall

HUNTINGTON, WV - North Carolina A&T used its strongest defensive performance of the season to defeat Marshall 57-53 Saturday night in women's basketball action at the Cam Henderson Center. Freshman Sabre Proctor led the Aggies with 15 points on 6-for-10 shooting. The Aggies shot just 31. 8 percent for the game but forced the Thundering Herd into 34 turnovers.

"Defense definitely won this game,'' said N.C. A&T head coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs. "We played extremely hard and kept our composure throughout the entire game."

N.C. A&T trailed 47-40 with nine minutes remaining. Jaquayla Berry capped a 10-2 run with a layup that gave the Aggies a 50-49 with four minutes to play. Layups by Nikia Gorham and Proctor put the Aggies ahead by three.

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SWAC honors North Carolina A&T's Cage-Bibbs with Lifetime Award

The Southwestern Athletic Conference Alumni Association will honor N.C. A&T women's basketball coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs with a Lifetime Achievement Award tonight in Birmingham, Alabama.

Cage-Bibbs will not be in attendance because the Aggies will be en route to Huntington, W.Va., to face Marshall on Saturday, but NFL Super Bowl MVP quarterback and fellow Grambling alumnus Doug Williams will accept the honor on Cage-Bibbs' behalf.

In her 26th season as a head coach, Cage-Bibbs has more than 470 wins in stints at Grambling State (13 seasons), Hampton (seven seasons) and N.C. A&T (six seasons).

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Harrisburg's Sabre Proctor picks North Carolina A&T Lady Aggies

Pennsylvania's Harrisburg High School 6-0, Class AAAA Associated Press All-State forward Sabre Proctor (#15) has signed with the North Carolina A&T State University Lady Aggies and the Division I, Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Proctor selected the Aggies over Rutgers and Delaware State.

COLLEGE RECRUITING WATCH

ATHLETE: Sabre Proctor

SPORT: Basketball

HIGH SCHOOL: Harrisburg (Pennsylvania)

COLLEGE: North Carolina A&T

THE DETAILS: At the Field House at Harrisburg High School Thursday, the Cougars’ all-state forward announced her intentions to join head coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs and the Division I Aggies. Over the past four seasons, the Aggies won 91 games and three Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference titles with one NCAA Tournament appearance. Cage-Bibbs & Co. went 23-11 this season and, following a MEAC championship loss to South Carolina State, chalked up two WNIT victories at Wake Forest and Charlotte.

THE DECISION: "It was just the best fit for me. I loved the coaches, the players and the distance from home. Actually, they have one of the top business schools and that’s what I want to study," said Proctor, projected as a 3. "Coach [Cage-Bibbs] is very family-oriented and I connected with her. You can talk to her about anything.

THE ATHLETE: Among the Mid-Penn’s most aggressive players, Proctor worked hard to expand her skill set and became both a four-time conference all-star and three-time selection to The Patriot-News Big 15. Always a physical force underneath, the 6-0 recruit added a deft touch from the perimeter and shoved the Cougars into the PIAA Class AAAA Tournament with an 18.1 average. She finished her scholastic career with more than 1,600 points and over 1,000 caroms. "I always had a nice little mid-range jumper but I would never take it," Proctor said. "I had to be able to convert and do other things, create my own shot." A terrific senior campaign helped Proctor land a third-team spot on the Associated Press Class AAAA all-state team. The Cougars’ ace also gave serious consideration to Rutgers and Delaware State, among others.

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WNIT: Miami runs past North Carolina A&T

Senior Lamona Smalley ends A&T basketball career on a very high note with two historic post season wins and the MEAC regular season conference championship. The Lady Aggies ends the year at 23-11 (14-2 MEAC).

Miami Hurricanes reach WNIT quarterfinals

The North Carolina A&T basketball team came into its game against the University of Miami in the Women's National Invitation Tournament with the reputation as a fast-paced, never-slow-down team. UM had an answer for that. The Hurricanes laced up their sneakers and decided to run with the Aggies. In fact, they ran right past them 84-77 in front of 982 fans at BankUnited Center on Thursday night. While UM was celebrating and smiling at the end, A&T was left breathless and gasping -- and with its season over.

Next up for Miami (20-13) is a quarterfinal game at 2 p.m. Sunday against Providence (19-14), which defeated Maryland 77-64 on Thursday night. "An unbelievable basketball game," UM coach Katie Meier said of defeating A&T. The victory marked the first time Miami has won three postseason games. Meier had no doubts about what she was going to do against A&T. ``We were going to run,'' she said.

Lady Aggies suffer season-ending loss in Miami

The N.C. A&T Lady Aggies' early defensive struggles in the first half helped advance the Miami Hurricanes to the fourth round in their 84-77 victory in the Women's National Invitational Tournament. Miami hit 10 3-pointers for the game and expanded the lead to as much as 15 points shooting over 80 percent in the first half. A&T did cut the deficit to five points on multiple occasions in the second half, but had trouble stopping Miami's transition break in the final minutes. The Hurricanes held standout freshman, Amber Calvin, to just 13 points on a 4-17 shooting performance for the game. Calvin left the game in the final minutes with a knee injury.

Jaleesa Sams led all Aggies with 20 points and nine rebounds. The loss marked the end of a historic 2-game postseason winning streak, which is the longest for any historically black college in NCAA Division I postseason. It also brought two stellar careers to an end with Ta'Wuana Cook and Lamona Smalley both finishing among the school leaders in points and rebounds respectively. The other seniors playing in their final game included Tyronnica Alford and Shantar Waddell. A&T seasons ends at 23-11.

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WNIT: North Carolina A&T crowd drowns out 49ers to end Charlotte’s season

North Carolina A&T State University Lady Aggies coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs and team have made history, again. With the win over UNCC, the Aggies (23-10) become the first NCAA Division I historically black college or university to win two postseason games. The Aggies will play Miami Thursday night in the WNIT at 7 p.m., the BankUnited Center in Coral Gables, Florida.

Charlotte, N.C. - The University of North Carolina-Charlotte 49ers’ season came to an end Sunday afternoon at the hands of the North Carolina A&T Aggies, 79-70 in Halton Arena. Charlotte had won 13 straight games in Halton Arena, but Sunday afternoon didn’t feel like much of a home game for the Niners. Notoriously known for traveling well, the Aggies brought a crowd and band that easily outnumbered Niner Nation three to one. At times, it seemed like a battle of the bands, as Charlotte and A&T’s band went back-and-forth at one another with the best songs they had.

Charlotte jumped out to an early 6-0 lead but just as quickly, fell behind; as A&T hit three straight three-pointers to jump out to a 9-6 lead with 15:54 left in the opening stanza. Charlotte retook the lead shortly after and lead for a large portion of the rest of the half, until A&T used a 9-2 run to take a 35-32 lead into the break. “Well I thought their guard play was terrific, and you have to commend them on a gutsy performance,” Niner Head Coach Karen Aston said following the loss. “I thought every time we tried to make a run, they answered it. They were just a little bit tougher and more aggressive than us, in particular at the guard position.”

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WNIT: North Carolina A&T Lady Aggies rout Wake Forest Deacons

North Carolina A&T State University took care of Wake Forest easily last night in the Women's NIT at sold-out Reynolds Gym.The Aggies jumped all over the Deacons early and never let up, rolling to a 73-49 victory in the first round. With close to 1,000 crammed into the on-campus gym that included both school bands, the atmosphere was as good as it gets. It was so loud that the scorer's table had to resort to using a bullhorn instead of the scoreboard buzzer.

And the Aggies' shooting and focus was as good as it gets. "To do this is just another step for us," Coach Patricia Bibbs of the Aggies said of winning their first postseason game in school history. "We knew we had to come out and play a near-perfect game and for the most part we did that." The Aggies (22-10) advanced, and will play UNC Charlotte on Sunday at 3 p.m., and they advanced rather easily. Coach Mike Petersen of the Deacons, who had hoped to have his team playing in the NCAA Tournament but didn't get a bid despite finishing fifth in the ACC, said that the Aggies, who had more fan support last night, came out blazing.

Final Stats

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WNIT: North Carolina A&T Aggies set to play Wake Forest

Senior guard Ta’Wuana “Tweet” Cook, first-team all-MEAC, leads the Lady Aggies into the WNIT.

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The North Carolina A&T women’s basketball team will see its season continue in the Women’s National Invitational Tournament 7 p.m., Thursday, March 18 against Wake Forest University at Reynolds Gymnasium on the campus of Wake Forest. If the Aggies are able to defeat the Demon Deacons of the ACC, they will play the winner of Thursday’s Gardner-Webb at Charlotte contest. The location of the second round game will be announced after the first round contests. The Aggies (21-10) earned the WNIT bid as an automatic qualifier after winning the MEAC regular-season championship for the third straight season. Thursday’s game will mark the third straight season the Aggies have participated in postseason play.

Wake Forest To Host NC A&T In WNIT Opening Round

Winston-Salem, N.C. - The Wake Forest women's basketball team will open the 2010 Women's National Invitation Tournament with North Carolina A&T on Thursday, March 18 at 7 p.m. in Reynolds Gymnasium on Wake Forest's Reynolda Campus. The winner will advance to face either Charlotte or Gardner-Webb at a location that will be announced following the first round conclusion. The invitation marks the second consecutive WNIT appearance for the Demon Deacons.

Last season Wake Forest received a first round bye and faced Georgetown in the second round in Winston-Salem, where the Deacs fell 72-61. Wake Forest (18-13) last faced North Carolina A&T (21-10) in 2004, taking a 92-43 win in Winston-Salem.

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North Carolina A&T women have plenty of bounce in victory

North Carolina A&T Senior guard Ta'Wuana Cook leads Lady Aggies to victory with six 3-pointers and 25 points over the S.C. State Lady Bulldogs.

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- After losing their first conference game of the season to Hampton on Monday, the N.C. A&T Aggies bounced back on Saturday with an 83-63 win over S.C. State at Corbett Sports Center. The Aggies (18-8, 12-1 MEAC) won by 38 after their first conference loss in 2008, and they won by 33 after their first conference loss in 2007. Senior Ta'Wuana Cook led the Aggies with 25 points on six 3-pointers. Senior Lamona Smalley recorded her sixth double-double in seven games with 11 points, 12 rebounds and five assists. Jaleesa Sams added 14.

A sideline intra-squad altercation occurred on the A&T bench during the game. School officials said they were unclear about the altercation. According to a staff journalist who attended the game, midway through the second half, freshman Amber Calvin and junior Jaleesa Sams had to be separated by fellow teammates and coaches. After the game, the journalist also said a man approached Sams and there was a brief scuffle between the two.

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North Carolina A&T women now 10-0 in MEAC

Lady Aggies Coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs has A&T rolling with a 10-0 MEAC record.











GREENSBORO, N.C. — Senior guard Tu'Wuana "Tweet" Cook scored 22 points and N.C. A&T forced 26 turnovers as the Aggies routed Maryland-Eastern Shore 76-46 on Monday night in women's basketball at the Corbett Center. It was the 10th consecutive win for the Aggies (16-7, 10-0 MEAC), who held the Hawks to 30 percent field-goal shooting. Lamona Smalley, the MEAC's player of the week, had 18 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists and two blocks. Jaleesa Sams added 11 points off the bench for A&T.

The Aggies went up 9-1 on a 3-point play by JaQuayla Berry at the 15:16 mark. Cook then hit consecutive 3-pointers to push the lead to 20-7 at 8:45. After a pair of Sams free throws, Cook knocked down her third 3 of the half to make it a 25-9 game and A&T never looked back again. April McBride led UMES (8-12, 5-5) with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Chena Parker added eight points and 13 rebounds. FINAL STATS

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Been There: Cage-Bibbs has experience in tournament, even if N.C. A&T players don't

Patricia Cage-Bibbs, who took over at N.C. A&T four seasons ago, has a 423-244 career coaching record. The Lady Aggies will battle a talented Florida State Seminoles team that may be the region's favorite to advance.

One of the luxuries that N.C. A&T will have in the NCAA Women's Tournament is the experience of Coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs. Cage-Bibbs has taken two other programs to the tournament (Grambling and Hampton) and knows about all of the hype surrounding the postseason. "You don't get caught up in all of that," she said. "What I'm going to do is just tell them it's a great opportunity, and you just play and execute, and if we do that we'll be trouble for some teams."

The Aggies, regular-season and tournament champions in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, are the 14th seed in the Trenton Regional and will play No. 3 Florida State at 2:30 Saturday in Duluth, Ga. "A 14th seed just shows the kind of respect these young ladies have earned over the last two seasons," said Cage-Bibbs, whose Aggies have the highest seed ever for a MEAC team. "We are excited, but we are not just happy to be there. We're going to come ready to play."

Lady Aggies junior guard Ta'Wuana "Tweet" Cook, Fayetteville, N.C. Seventy-First H.S., is ready to play the FSU Seminoles.

This will be A&T's first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 1994, but the Aggies gained some postseason experience last season in the WNIT, where they lost to South Carolina 102-74. Cage-Bibbs, who has had just four losing seasons in her 23-year career, took over at A&T four seasons ago and has turned her program into one of the MEAC's best.

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Two NC A&T track standouts will run at indoor nationals

North Carolina A&T Lady Aggies wins MEAC crown

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - It started ugly and only got worse for the Hampton Lady Pirates on Sunday. Playing in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament championship at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum, the Lady Pirates had more turnovers than field goals, struggled to slow down top-seeded North Carolina A & T and never seriously threatened as the Lady Aggies claimed a 76-54 victory.

The win secured the MEAC's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament for the Lady Aggies. "This all started from the day we lost (in last year's MEAC title game)," A & T coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs said. Senior forward Brittanie Taylor-James agreed. "Every day, in the locker room, we saw this posterboard that said 'unfinished business.' " Taylor-James said. "We took care of business today."

Defense helped the Lady Pirates (15-16) stay in the game early. Hampton trailed 7-4 with 12 minutes left in the first half, until N.C. A&T senior guard Amber Bland, a three-time first-team all-conference player, took over. Bland, the preseason conference player of the year, hit six straight shots, including four 3-pointers, as the Lady Aggies (26-6) won for the eighth straight time and 20th time in its past 21 games.

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Victory says it all for DSU

Hornets women rally to knock off MEAC leader North Carolina A&T

DOVER, DE -- When the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference women's basketball tournament starts next month, Delaware State should be the top seed. That's the opinion of junior Selena Galloway, who helped the Hornets deliver that message Monday afternoon at Memorial Hall. Delaware State, down by 14 early in the second half, embarked on a furious rally over the final seven minutes to upend MEAC leader North Carolina A&T 68-66 in a showdown between the conference's top two teams.

Galloway's driving layup with 1:52 to play forced a 63-63 tie, and her two free throws with 1:35 left put the Hornets ahead after they had trailed from almost the opening tip. Delaware State coach Ed Davis called the victory his team's most significant in two years. Galloway agreed. "It's very, very, very big," said Galloway, a reserve who came off the bench to score 13 points.

DSU Hornets forward Ashley Thompson fights for ball with Lady Aggies Tierra Thomas.

"We're actually underrated in the MEAC conference. Nobody looks at us as the No. 1 seed, but I think we proved it [Monday]." The conference tournament starts March 9. Delaware State (14-11, 10-2) has four conference games remaining -- all on the road -- before the Hornets can worry about tournament seeding. Still, the statement was made. The Hornets ended North Carolina A&T's 12-game win streak and handed the Lady Aggies (18-6, 11-1) their first conference loss. More importantly, the Hornets pulled within one game of first place.

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Solid Free-Throw Shooting Secures UK Women's Win over N.C.A&T

Box Score

Quotes

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LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Kentucky women’s basketball team hit 29-of-32 free-throw attempts, including 13-of-14 in the final four minutes to lead the Wildcats to their fourth consecutive win with a 72-63 win over North Carolina A&T on Thursday night in Memorial Coliseum.

It was a sloppy game from the start as both teams seemed out of rhythm and sluggish. The teams committed a combined 24 turnovers in the opening half, 13 from the Blue and White. With the game knotted at 22 apiece with 1:43 left in the half, the Wildcats finally kicked it into gear thanks in large part to the heady play of Dunlap. The sophomore All-Southeastern Conference performer grabbed two defensive rebounds and scored the next seven consecutive points, including an old-fashioned three-point play, to give the Cats a seven-point 28-22 lead with 40 seconds to go. UK went on to lead 29-25 at the break after a three-pointer by Brittanie Taylor-James of N.C. A&T.

In the second half, the Wildcats seemed to be pulling away from the Aggies after Morrow and Edelen combined to hit two three-pointers a piece in the first eight minutes of action. Their hot shooting sparked a 16-2 run, giving the Cats a 46-30 lead en route to an eventual game-high 19-point advantage with 4:34 remaining. However, turnovers continued to plague the Cats and North Carolina A&T (6-5) took full advantage of UK’s season high-tying 26 miscues. The Aggies, led by 25 points from Taylor-James, held the Cats without a field goal for the final four minutes and pulled within seven (66-59) with 1:05 left. The Cats remained poised down the stretch, hitting 13-of-14 free-throw attempts in the final 3:36 to take the 72-63 win.

“We were very happy to get this win because North Carolina A&T has a very good team,” Mitchell said. “While we didn’t play our best tonight, I was pleased that we went on a big run in the second half to get control of the game. We didn’t finish off the game particularly well, but still a good win for us and we are happy with the win.”

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Bland scores 25 to lead A&T over Buffalo

Ta'Wanna Cook scored 21 points, seven assists and four steals in the Lady Aggies victory over Buffalo.

GREENVILLE, N.C. -- Amber Bland led a quartet of double-figure scorers for N.C. A&T on Friday night as the Aggies defeated Buffalo in the second contest of the Lady Pirate Invitational inside Minges Coliseum. A&T improved to 2-2 on the season while the Bulls fell to 3-3. Bland, the MEAC preseason player of the year, paced the Aggies with 25 points while Ta'Wanna Cook added 21 points, seven assists and four steals to lead the Aggies to an 85-76 win.

The Aggies play East Carolina Saturday night at 7 for the championship.

"After seeing this team on film all week, we felt like we matched up well with them,'' said A&T coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs. "We knew they had several shooters on their team and that they passed the ball really well, but we knew if we played good defense, we could disrupt what they like to do on offense. Our young ladies came through tonight and I'm proud of the way they got after them on defense. If you let a team like that run their offense with out badgering them, they will pick you a part."

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Photo: Lady Aggies 6-0 junior forward Brittanie Taylor-James snared 6 rebounds and scored 16 points against South Carolina.

South Carolina freshman Jordan Jones fires for 31 points thanks to WNIT record nine 3-pointers

If there was any question the Gamecocks were motivated to play in the second-tier tournament, it was answered quickly and emphatically.

The Gamecocks showed they are as healthy as they have been since November as they routed North Carolina A&T 102-74 in the opening round of the tournament Friday night at the Colonial Center.

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NCA&T Aggies to play at South Carolina in WNIT

Photo: NCA&T Patricia Cage-Bibbs will face a South Carolina team that finished 15-15, 4-10 in the SEC.

GREENSBORO, March 18, 2008 – After heartbreaking loss in the MEAC Championship Game on Saturday, the North Carolina A&T women’s basketball team still has one more chance to win a tournament championship. The Aggies will play in their first postseason game in 14 years when they face the University of South Carolina on Friday, March 21 in the Women’s National Invitational Tournament at the Colonial Center in Columbia, S.C.

The brackets were released late Monday night. Game time is 7 p.m. A win could put the Aggies back in Raleigh where they just played three games in the MEAC Tournament because Friday’s winner will play N.C. State at Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh NEXT Monday night.

“We had a great season,’’ said head coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs. “I think playing in this tournament will remind people of that. Yes, we would love to play in the NCAA tournament. But in our case, you have to have had a great season to play in this tournament too.”

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