NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. - The North Carolina A&T women's basketball team lost the consolation game of the Iona Tip-Off Tournament 113-60 to No. 25 Michigan State at the Hynes Center on Saturday.
The Spartan offense was led by senior guard Porshe Poole who totaled a game-high 24 points and six assists. Poole was 10-for-11 from the floor. Junior forward JaQuayla Berry had 16 for N.C. A&T, while Tracy King finished with 11.
The Spartans had a significant advantage on the boards, out-rebounded the Aggies 60-24. Twenty-three of the Spartans' rebounds came on the offensive end, which helped them score 25 second-chance points. Michigan State also took advantage of the Aggie turnovers, scoring 44 of their points off turnovers.
In the second half the Aggies turned their play up, sinking five 3-point shots. Despite the final score, sophomore guard Mikala Scott had seven steals, and King earned all-tournament honors after averaging 17.5 points, 7.0 rebounds for the tournament.
"People may think I'm crazy for saying this, but the score did not mean anything to me. I saw a lot of bright spots," said Aggies head coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs. "These young players are getting the experience that they need. I'm excited for the future. We have a lot of great athletes."
The Lady Aggies are the sixth youngest team in the NCAA Division I in 2011-2012, under Pittsburgh, Delaware State, Marquette, St. Francis and Southern Utah.
The Aggies will host their home opener at Corbett Sports Center against Virginia Union Tuesday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m