Post by Bornthrilla on Jan 9, 2007 14:54:42 GMT -5
Aggies win by making few turnovers
GREENSBORO -- To say a national audience watched N.C. A&T defeat Howard 70-66 on Monday night would be somewhat misleading. There was a football game on, and this was ESPNU. Scandalized politicians beg for that kind of anonymity.
But a nearly packed Corbett Sports Center and a starved Aggies basketball team didn't mind. A&T (2-1 MEAC, 6-9) has a winning conference record for the first time in five seasons. If the Aggies keep it going, somebody will notice one day.
"We won because no matter what -- calls we didn't like, shots that didn't fall -- we stayed together," said guard Austin Ewing, who scored 16 points. "As long as we stick together, we're going to come through. No matter what the circumstances are."
Specifically, they won this one because they didn't turn the ball over in the final seven minutes, and they committed only 12 turnovers all night. A plus-8 turnover margin for the game was enough to overcome substandard free-throw shooting.
"We didn't hit shots, but we didn't unravel, either," coach Jerry Eaves said.
Two days earlier, Eaves ripped his team for being satisfied with a victory. There were no such complaints this time. The Aggies scored only a dozen points in the first 12 minutes of the second half after scoring 40 in the first 20 minutes of the game. They led the entire way but had to hold on, ultimately securing the victory only when Steven Rush made two free throws with 3.6 seconds to go.
It helped that the Bison had no options other than the long ball. Howard launched 30 of its 52 field-goal attempts from beyond the 3-point arc. The Bison connected 11 times, which is good enough to meet the national average for 3-point success but insufficient to matter when other avenues are closed or unpaved altogether.
A&T built an early double-digit lead with the help of threats from downtown more than their accuracy. It's well established that the Aggies can hit the 3-pointer, and that explains why Jason Wills and Greg Roberts could flash to the middle of the Bison zone and create mid-range opportunities.
Wills finished with 17 points, Roberts 16.
"When we have perimeter shooters -- and Steven Rush just had an off-day -- they have to honor our shooters," Eaves said.
Rush missed 10 of 13 field-goal attempts -- shooting 1-for-8 from 3-point range -- and scored 10 points.
Down the stretch, it was a matter of holding on, something previous A&T teams couldn't always do. Ewing played 28 minutes in a fast-paced game -- the final score notwithstanding -- and committed one turnover. A simple and perhaps bland formula, but it clearly beats the alternatives, many of which the Aggies have explored in the past.
A&T, a poised and patient unit on offense, could vigorously defend the perimeter -- especially in the final minute. Three heavily harassed Bison 3-point attempts were well off the mark, and in that span, the Aggies claimed victory.
They now head on a four-game MEAC road trip, which begins Saturday at Bethune-Cookman. Now nothing seems implausible.
"That's the way we look at anybody. Anybody," Roberts said.
Contact Rob Daniels at 373-7028 or rdaniels@news-record.com
GREENSBORO -- To say a national audience watched N.C. A&T defeat Howard 70-66 on Monday night would be somewhat misleading. There was a football game on, and this was ESPNU. Scandalized politicians beg for that kind of anonymity.
But a nearly packed Corbett Sports Center and a starved Aggies basketball team didn't mind. A&T (2-1 MEAC, 6-9) has a winning conference record for the first time in five seasons. If the Aggies keep it going, somebody will notice one day.
"We won because no matter what -- calls we didn't like, shots that didn't fall -- we stayed together," said guard Austin Ewing, who scored 16 points. "As long as we stick together, we're going to come through. No matter what the circumstances are."
Specifically, they won this one because they didn't turn the ball over in the final seven minutes, and they committed only 12 turnovers all night. A plus-8 turnover margin for the game was enough to overcome substandard free-throw shooting.
"We didn't hit shots, but we didn't unravel, either," coach Jerry Eaves said.
Two days earlier, Eaves ripped his team for being satisfied with a victory. There were no such complaints this time. The Aggies scored only a dozen points in the first 12 minutes of the second half after scoring 40 in the first 20 minutes of the game. They led the entire way but had to hold on, ultimately securing the victory only when Steven Rush made two free throws with 3.6 seconds to go.
It helped that the Bison had no options other than the long ball. Howard launched 30 of its 52 field-goal attempts from beyond the 3-point arc. The Bison connected 11 times, which is good enough to meet the national average for 3-point success but insufficient to matter when other avenues are closed or unpaved altogether.
A&T built an early double-digit lead with the help of threats from downtown more than their accuracy. It's well established that the Aggies can hit the 3-pointer, and that explains why Jason Wills and Greg Roberts could flash to the middle of the Bison zone and create mid-range opportunities.
Wills finished with 17 points, Roberts 16.
"When we have perimeter shooters -- and Steven Rush just had an off-day -- they have to honor our shooters," Eaves said.
Rush missed 10 of 13 field-goal attempts -- shooting 1-for-8 from 3-point range -- and scored 10 points.
Down the stretch, it was a matter of holding on, something previous A&T teams couldn't always do. Ewing played 28 minutes in a fast-paced game -- the final score notwithstanding -- and committed one turnover. A simple and perhaps bland formula, but it clearly beats the alternatives, many of which the Aggies have explored in the past.
A&T, a poised and patient unit on offense, could vigorously defend the perimeter -- especially in the final minute. Three heavily harassed Bison 3-point attempts were well off the mark, and in that span, the Aggies claimed victory.
They now head on a four-game MEAC road trip, which begins Saturday at Bethune-Cookman. Now nothing seems implausible.
"That's the way we look at anybody. Anybody," Roberts said.
Contact Rob Daniels at 373-7028 or rdaniels@news-record.com
