WINSTON-SALEM - The North Carolina A&T men's basketball team utilized something it had not utilized in its first two meetings against Howard.
Aggressiveness.
The Aggies went to the free throw line 39 times. They went a combined 31 times in the previous two meetings. That coupled with strong bench play from sophomore Nic Simpson and redshirt senior James Porter led the Aggies to a 65-55 win over the Bison in a play-in round game at the 2010 MEAC Tournament played at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Tuesday.
The win puts the Aggies in the quarterfinal round against top-seed Morgan State Wednesday night at 7. N.C. A&T also avoided its first three-game sweep by Howard in more than 30 years. Simpson led the Aggies with 21 points off the bench. Porter added 12 points and six rebounds in a reserve role.
"We really attacked that basket tonight,'' said Eaves, who led the Aggies to their first MEAC Tournament win since beating Norfolk State 81-66 in 2007. "In our first two games against them we were very lethargic. Tonight, we played like we had our backs against the wall, and that's how you need to play in a tournament like this."
The Aggies regular season did not end on a happy note. N.C. A&T lost its final four games. In three of those games, the Aggies held double-digit leads in the second half. The lead wasn't exactly double figures at the 8:12 mark, but they were ahead 48-39.
An old familiar feeling seemed to be creeping up as Mike Phillips scored off of an Aggies turnover. The Bison's Kandi Mukole followed with two free throws, and Paul Kirkpatrick's spin move pulled the Bison to within three at 48-45 with 6:06 remaining.
Eaves called a well-timed timeout. Porter, who played a major role in making sure the Aggies went to the free throw line by going 11 times on his own, answered the Bison challenge by coming out of the timeout and converting a 3-point play to give the Aggies a 51-45 lead. Porter's layup and free throw sparked an 8-0 run that gave the Aggies a double-digit lead at 56-45 with 1:53 to play.
"My mindset coming into this game was do or die,'' said Simpson. "We don't want the season to be over. I wasn't going to accept it."
If the Aggies are able to upset Morgan State, they will get Thursday off before playing in the semifinals at 6 p.m., on Friday. "To win a tournament, you have to play the very best,'' said Eaves. "They have proven over the last few years that they are the best in our conference. You never want to avoid playing the best."
