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SPORTS

Aggies go cold while Eaves burns

Tuesday, January 31, 2012
(Updated Wednesday, February 1 - 9:30 am)

—The streak ended and it ended badly for N.C. A&T.

The Aggies (10-13, 5-3 MEAC) scored only three points in the final 12 minutes and Delaware State (7-11, 4-3) pulled away for a 56-41 men's basketball win Monday at the Corbett Center. The loss snapped the Aggies five-game winning streak.

With 18 seconds left, A&T coach Jerry Eaves apparently had seen enough, especially from the officials. He unleashed a flurry of obscenities directed at one particular official and was hit with two technical fouls and was ejected.

"We played poorly in every aspect," Eaves said. "We had no energy, had no life. We couldn't hit a shot and it kind of snowballed and they dropped their heads a little bit. We have to play harder. We did not come with any energy from the beginning. My starters were completely dead."

Eaves had no explanation for his team hitting only 27 percent of it shots, including an abysmal 2-of-17 night from 3-point range. This performance came after the Aggies had scored at least 90 points in their previous two games. Adrian Powell was A&T's leading scorer with 17 points, but no other player had more than six.

"We had played extremely hard and extremely well for a long time," Eaves said. "They prepared and prepared all week and they played very well on Saturday. They just didn't have it today."

Eaves said he regretted the ejection, his first since Feb. 3, 2008 in the Winston-Salem State game, but he was frustrated with the officiating at that point. Jeremy Underwood had just attempted a 3-pointer in front of the Aggies bench and Eaves felt that Underwood was fouled. Nothing was called.

"I hate that I got thrown out of the game. I don't like to leave my team that way," the A&T coach said. "The entire second half the officials decided they were not going to call any fouls going to the basket. There was nothing I could do about it. But the 3-pointer when the kid got knocked into the bleachers, the official did not make the correct call and he knows and I know it and it just kind of snowballed from there."

A steal and layup by the Hornets' Tahj Tate, who had a team-high 15 points, gave Delaware State a 40-38 lead with 12:56 to play. The Aggies hit only three free throws the rest of the game, the last by Nic Simpson with 3:34 to play.

A&T was outrebounded and completely frustrated by the Hornets' deliberate style.

"I believe that in basketball if you can shorten the game and you can take away possessions, you've got a chance to be in the game," Delaware State coach Greg Jackson said. "We defended the 3-point line. Our kids did an excellent job of taking away spots and areas on the floor. We got them out of their comfort zone. I thought that was the biggest difference in the game."

The two teams battled back and forth in the first half, with neither team taking more than a five-point lead. The Aggies used a 9-0 run to take a 13-8 lead, but then the Hornets responded with a 8-1 run to take the lead back at 16-13.

A&T's Powell had three straight baskets to give the Aggies the lead again at 20-19 with 5:28 to play in the first half.

Delaware State's Tate hit a leaner in the lane just before halftime to provide a 28-27 lead for the Hornets at the break.

DELAWARE STATE (7-11, 4-3)

Gray 1-3 0-0 2, Walker 4-14 0-0 10, Threatt 1-6 6-6 9, Tate 6-17 2-3 15, Joyner 0-0 0-0 0, Bell 4-9 0-0 12, Lawson 0-0 0-0 0, M. Oliver 2-3 2-4 6, May 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 19-54 10-13 56.

N.C. A&T (10-13, 5-3)

Powell 6-12 4-4 17, Upchurch 0-1 0-0 0, Siverand 2-2 1-2 5, Hill 0-9 0-0 0, Witter 1-3 1-2 3, L. Smith 1-2 1-2 3, Williams 0-0 0-0 0, Underwood 1-7 1-2 3, Simpson 1-9 1-2 4, Louisme 0-1 0-0 0, Buck 2-5 2-5 6. Totals 14-51 11-19 41.

Halftime—Delaware State 28-27.

Percentages—Delaware State (FG .352, FT .769), N.C. A&T (FG .275, FT .579).

3-point goals—Delaware State 8-26 (Bell 4-8, Walker 2-9, Threatt 1-3, Tate 1-6), N.C. A&T 2-17 (Powell 1-4, Simpson 1-6, Louisme 0-1, Witter 0-2, Underwood 0-2, Hill 0-2).

Fouled out—None.

Rebounds—Delaware State 40 (Gray, M. Oliver 7), N.C. A&T 38 (Powell 8).

Team rebounds—Delaware State 6, N.C. A&T 3.

Assists—Delaware State 13 (Threatt 7), N.C. A&T 6 (Hill 3).

Blocks—Delaware State 12 (Gray 5), N.C. A&T 2 (Witter 2).

Turnovers—Delaware State 12 (Threatt 4), N.C. A&T 12 (Witter 3, Underwood 3).

Steals—Delaware State 6 (Tate 3), N.C. A&T 4 (Underwood 2).

Total fouls—Delaware State 15, N.C. A&T 10.

Technicals—N.C. A&T bench 2.

A—2,294.

Officials—Jackie Sanders, Haywood Bostic, Rick Pate.

Accompanying Photos

Jerry Wolford (News & Record)

Photo Caption: A&T's Jeremy Underwood drives against Delaware during Monday night's game.

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