Who's coming to the game(s) on Saturday

[Bornthrilla]

I'll probably be there solo.

My wife doesn't yet appreciate the greatness that is A&T women's basketball.

[oleschoolaggie]

normally i wouldn't make a special trip to greensboro just to see us play norfolk in basketball. but i haven't seen the women play live all season and i'm anxious to do so. so i'm thinking about driving down for that game along with the men of course...

[JayBee]

I made the ECU game last Saturday! So I won't be able to make this one, although I wish I could! I really wish I could see my ladies play again, because I think coach Bibbs is going to take us to national prominence real soon! Well I'll be at the Morgan game in January. Oleschoolaggie, I thought you were coming to the ECU game!

[Aggie9195]

Me!

[Aggie77]

Me too!

[Aggie One]

We'll be there.

[Bornthrilla]

THE SERIES
This is the 24th meeting between the Spartans and the Aggies. The Aggies have won the last four meetings against the Spartans by an average of 24.0 points. Despite the Aggies recent success, the Spartans lead the all-time series 14-9. The Aggies are 4-2 against the Spartans under head coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs.

THE SPARTANS
The Spartans are still looking for their first win of the season four games into the 2008-09 campaign. The Spartans have played some tough competition, including games at Miami and Old Dominion. Norfolk State is led by Marquella Evans who is averaging 12.8 points per game while shooting 41.8 percent from the field. The Spartans will also rely on veterans Danelle Tate and Ebony Gibbs. Gibbs, a senior for the Spartans, has been an all-around player since arriving in Norfolk, Va. Gibbs has more than 350 points, 200 rebounds and 100 assists in her career. Tate scored 14 points and six rebounds the last time she visited Corbett.

THE AGGIES
The Aggies ran into one of the best teams they will face all here in the No. 13 Auburn Tigers on Wednesday. Despite, playing against a nationally-ranked team that features an All-American player, the Aggies went toe-to-toe with the Tigers in the first half, and trailed by just three points at halftime. The way the Aggies played against the Tigers in the first half, and the way the Aggies dominated East Carolina’s Lady Pirate Invitational, shows they could be ready to pull off a few more upsets before the season ends. The Aggies two standouts continue to show they improved aspects of their game. Senior Brittanie Taylor-James is attacking the boards in a way she has not done previously in her career, and senior Amber Bland is third in the conference in steals and seventh in the conference in rebounding.

GAME
The Aggies are trying to start and this time complete what they could not a year ago, an undefeated conference regular-season. Before all that can happen, the Aggies must take care of business on Saturday when they face their first conference foe in Norfolk State. A year ago, the Aggies forced the Spartans to turn the ball over 71 times in the two-game series. The Aggies are coming off of a game where they forced just seven turnovers against the Tigers. N.C. A&T is eager to get back to what they are known for, causing 25-30 turnovers per game. The Aggies also want to get back to creating steals. They force 12.8 steals per game.

LOOK FOR…
…The Aggies to try to get off to an early start. The Aggies are unquestionably the favorite coming into the game having been picked to finish atop the MEAC this season. The Aggies don’t want to let the Spartans confidence grow as the game matures into the late stages.

…The Aggies scorers. Amber Bland, Brittanie Taylor-James and Ta’Wuana Cook can score with the best of them. If those three players are getting out in transition and scoring easy baskets, it could be a prosperous night for the Aggies.

…The Aggies to guard against being overconfident. The Aggies know this is a conference game where strange things can happen and where your opponent knows you 10 times better than any team you can face outside the conference.



THE LAST TIME vs. NSU
The North Carolina A&T women’s basketball team broke the school record for wins in a season with its 93-60 win over Norfolk State on Thursday night from Irvin-Corbett Court. Then head coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs set down a new challenge for the team.

Do it again.

The Aggies improved to 23-6 overall and 15-1 into the conference as they head into next week’s MEAC Tournament in Raleigh as the No. 1 seed and MEAC regular-season champion. Freshman Jalessa Sams led the Aggies with 20 points and seven rebounds while Ta’Wuana Cook and Brittanie Taylor-James had 14 points apiece.

The Aggies open tournament play on Wednesday morning at 10 from the RBC Center in Raleigh. The Aggies will play the winner between the Florida A&M/Howard game played on Tuesday. The Aggies beat the Rattlers once and the Bison twice during the season. If the Aggies win they will play the 4/5 (Hampton/Maryland-Eastern Shore) winner Friday at noon.

It could set up an interesting match-up between the Aggies and the only MEAC team to beat them this season – Hampton. Before the Aggies could get to Raleigh, they had to take care of last-place Norfolk State on Thursday. They did just that.

The Aggies shot 52.9 percent from the field and forced the Spartans into 33 turnovers, marking the second time this season they made the Spartans turn the ball over more than 30 times. It was the 10th time this season the Aggies have caused an opponent to turn the ball over more than 30 times in a game.

The Aggies bench scored 42 points on Thursday. It, however, took the Aggies 15 minutes to shake itself from the Spartans (5-22, 1-15). Neely took a lob pass from Cook and sparked a 10-2 run that ended with a Sams layup to give N.C. A&T 35-23 lead with 2:44 remaining in the first half.

The Spartans’ Danielle Tate cut the lead to 10 on a layup before Amber Bland’s three ignited a 10-0 Aggies run to end the half and give N.C. A&T a 45-25 halftime lead.

[oleschoolaggie]

Dec 4, 2008 18:47:02 GMT -5 JayBee said:

I made the ECU game last Saturday! So I won't be able to make this one, although I wish I could! I really wish I could see my ladies play again, because I think coach Bibbs is going to take us to national prominence real soon! Well I'll be at the Morgan game in January. Oleschoolaggie, I thought you were coming to the ECU game!

i'd plan to make it, especially since my hometown is new bern which is 30 minutes away. but i had some family issues that kept the oleschool mobile grounded...

[aggierob]

I'm going to miss this one, but I will be at the Campbell game on Dec 20th.

[pj]

Things are lean for me. I'll be there but I will not stay overnight. We need a sweep this weekend. I want Ed Jones to get hot & I want the women to roll. Payback for the football team.