Feb. 16, 2008
Box Score
GREENSBORO, N.C. - The top seeded Lady Aggies of North Carolina A&T State University (NCAT) topped the second place Lady Hawks of the University if Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) 105-79 in a high-scoring Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) battle on Saturday afternoon. NCAT put six players in double figures and shot an impressive 53 percent for the game, including 60 points in the paint and limited UMES to 37 percent shooting and 42 points in the paint.
The stats would seem that NCAT (18-5, 11-0) dominated the inside but in fact UMES out-rebounded the Aggies 46-43 and won the second chance point category 26-21. The difference was the accuracy of the high scoring Lady Aggies as UMES had to collect 26 offensive boards while shooting 75 shots, converting just 28.
April McBride was dominant for UMES (14-10, 7-4 MEAC) posting 25 points and snatching 14 rebounds to lead the Lady Hawks in both categories. Tiffany Reid added 19 points while Queenique Tyler and Chena Parker posted 13 and 12 points respectively. Tyler's 13 is a career high for the freshman.
Ta'Wuana Cook led the game with 28 points for the Aggies while Amber Bland scored 20. Four more players were also in double figures as Nancy Rembert added 16, Jalessa Sams had 15. Brittany Taylor-James had 13 and Lamona Smalley had 12. Sams had a double double with 10 rebounds.
Parker gave UMES the lead to open the game with a lay-in at the 18:56 mark but Rembert answered with a three-pointer and NCAT never looked back. They led the remainder of the game and were up 39-34 at the half. UMES had trailed by as many as 13 in the first frame and were down 10 with 1:20 to play but the Lady Hawks rallied getting a three-pointer from Tyler, a pair of free throws from McBride and a lay-in with just three second remaining from McBride off of a Tyler steal.
In the second half Reid capitalized on a turnover to cut the lead to three but UMES couldn't get any closer. Up just four at the 15:45 mark NCAT got lay-ups form Sams and Cook to begin a run of 28-13 that saw them up 17 at the 10 minute mark. Five minutes later the Aggies top players were still scoring, up 18.
They would continue to apply pressure and go on a 10-4 run to end the game and win by 26, their biggest lead of the game and a final of 105-79. Cook broke the 100 point barrier with a 1:22 left on a lay-in. NCAT is now perfect in the MEAC and has won an impressive 11 straight games. In contrast, UMES has now dropped two straight after winning seven MEAC games in a row that vaulted them into second place.
UMES heads to Norfolk State on Monday night for a 6:00 p.m. game. They hope to get back in the win column against the Spartans, a team they topped earlier this season 88-65. Norfolk Sate was the start of the Hawks' seven game winning streak, something UMES hopes will begin again.
