N.C. A&T Alumni Times

Clap if this sounds familiar. The North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University women’s basketball team needs offense, so they get it from securing an offensive board. N.C. A&T needs a stop, so they get a turnover and then turn that into offense.

The Aggie faithful inside Scope Arena were clapping loudly after the top-seeded Aggies won the 2018 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Championship Tournament. Late in the game against third-seeded Hampton University, the Aggies did what they have done all season, rebound offensively and defend.

Add the Aggies superior play off the bench and it was the recipe for their 72-65-overtime victory over Hampton, who had won six of the eight previous championships coming into the game. North Carolina A&T Athletics held a watch party on March 12, at Corbett Sports Center to see where and who the Aggies will play in the upcoming NCAA tournament. The Aggies went into the tournament, winners of 11 straight and 19 of their last 20.

The Aggies won despite having to overcome a 9-0 deficit to start the game, and a Hampton rally that sent the game into overtime.

“We were caught up in the moment,” said N.C. A&T coach Tarrell Robinson about the Aggies sluggish start. He is 2-6 against Hampton in his career but both of those wins came in the conference tournament.

“Hampton coach David Six is an experienced coach who has had his team in the finals a bunch,” Robinson continued. “It was an electric crowd, so our ladies were a little bit hesitant early. However, we came back in the second half playing Lady Aggies basketball, letting our defense create our offense and living off our transition.”

The Aggies (23-8) headed to the program’s fourth NCAA tournament appearance behind their winning philosophy. The Aggies have outscored their opponents 685-413 in points off turnovers this season and those 685 points accounts for 33 percent of their point total this season. They have outscored their foes 420-269 in second-chance points.

Senior Kala Green was named tournament MVP and was named to the all-tournament team along with sophomore teammate Alexus Lessears.