When the Tigers needed a high percentage shot they went inside to 6-foot-8 KeKe Carrier. She finished with 28 points, 13 rebounds and three blocked shots to lead Auburn to a 76-63 win at Corbett Sports Center. The loss ends the Aggies 22-game home winning streak.

Sophomore Crystal Murdaugh led the Aggies with 12 points and four rebounds. Freshman JaQuayla Berry added 10.

“It's kind of tough when there is a 6-8 in the middle,'' said N.C. A&T head coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs. “She gets to her position and what she does is what she does.”

The Tigers scored 40 points in the paint Tuesday night, and they shot 52.6 percent from the field.  The Tigers not only had the 6-8 Carrier, but they also brought off the bench 6-7 Pascale West and 6-3 Blanche Alverson, who can step out and knock down perimeter shots. Despite the Tigers height advantage, the Aggies made a strong run at an upset.

With the Aggies trailing 49-36 four minutes into the second half, freshman guard Amber Calvin ignited a 12-4 Aggies run with a 3-pointer from the corner. She received the assists from senior guard Ta'Wuana “Tweet” Cook. The assists gave Cook the 333^rd assists of her career, making her the school's all-time leader. The previous record was held by Shareka “Mia” Glover.

When Calvin delivered a bounce pass to Berry on the break for a layup, the Aggies run had pulled them within five at 53-48. The Tigers went back to where they were able to hurt the Aggies for most of the night – the post. The Tigers went on a 13-0 run, scored six points in the paint in the process and when Carrier passed the ball out of a double to a wide open Alverson for a 3-pointer, the Tigers had a 66-48 lead with 8:41 remaining.

“They were really not intimidating to us,'' said Murdaugh. “But it's really hard to guard 6-8 when your tallest player is 6-1. We tried to get pressure on their guards so they couldn't get the ball in the post, but I thought our defensive rotation was off. They got some cuts to the basket, and when they got the ball into the post, even with our double teams it was hard to stop her.”

Auburn plays in one of the six major conferences in the country in the SEC. The last time a team from one of the major conferences entered Corbett Sports Center was in 1993 when the ACC's N.C. State Wolfpack beat the Aggies 92-91 in overtime.

“I appreciate Auburn coming in,'' said Bibbs. “It's really good for our program to have a quality opponent from a quality conference come to our place. But it was not only a good thing for us, but Auburn got a chance to experience some things they have never experienced before like the Dawg Pound. I'm proud of our fans and the environment they provided us tonight.” 

The Aggies go back on the road on Saturday when they face conference foe Norfolk State at 4 p.m., from Echols Hall.