CHARLOTTE - Change is coming to the North Carolina A&T women's basketball team. The Aggies got off to another unpleasant beginning in an 87-63 loss to Charlotte Wednesday night at Halton Arena. It was the Aggies (6-5) third straight loss in what has become a troubling trend of not scoring points early in the game.

What was even more concerning on Wednesday was the Aggies slow start prevented them from capitalizing on the 49ers sluggish opening. When the Niners found their rhythm midway through the first half and scored 12 consecutive points, it left the Aggies in a 26-10 hole with 6:19 remaining in the first half.

"We're losing the game in the first half," said N.C. A&T head coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs, who saw her team trail by double figures at halftime for the second straight game. "The urgency and the intensity are not there at the beginning of the game."

Bibbs said she will try to combat the early struggles by tweaking her starting lineup. Among the new candidates to start are freshmen center Jaylan Bodiford and freshmen guard Adriana Nazario. Bodiford came off the bench to score 12 points on 6-for-6 shooting. Nazario played sparingly in November, but has steadily seen her minutes increase as a combo guard.

"Jaylan is not strong, but she made some things happen tonight," said Bibbs. "She's been making them happen the last two or three games. She is somewhat of a finesse player, but she can shoot the perimeter shot."

Bodiford's skill set was known to the coaching staff from the beginning, Bibbs added. But the 6-foot-3, Louisville, Ky., native took a while to adjust to life as a Division I basketball player. Bodiford begin to assert herself in a game against Johnson C. Smith two weeks ago in which she scored nine points and grabbed eight rebounds.

"She is not aggressive, but we can get her there," said Bibbs. "Once she becomes more aggressive, she is going to be awesome for us."  

JaQuayla Berry led the Aggies with 16 points. Post players Amanda Dowe and Jennifer Hailey led a Charlotte inside game that outscored the Aggies 54-30 in the paint. Dowe had 19 points and 11 rebounds, and Hailey complemented Dowe's double-double with a 16-point, 10-rebound double-double.

"They're not a team that is supposed to get 54 points against us in the paint," said Bibbs. "A lot of those came on easy put backs because we weren't blocking out and easy layups because we weren't taking charges."

The Niners took their biggest lead of the game at 56-31 on Epiphany Woodson's 3-pointer with 13 minutes remaining in the game. Bodiford cut into that lead with an impressive jumper from just beyond the free throw line. Bodiford also hit a 15-foot jump shot from the corner late in the game. And according to Bibbs, her range extends beyond that.

Meanwhile, Nazario appears to provide the Aggies with another ball handler to assist starting point guard Amber Calvin.

"We're bringing people in and out," said Bibbs. "We have to do this because we want to win this conference, and we have to win it with people who want to get it done. Right now, we are at the point where I have to find my people. They are there. I know they are there.  We're going to find them."

The Aggies will play again on Thursday as they head to Spartanburg, S.C., to face Wofford at 2 p.m. The game was originally scheduled for after Christmas, but the game was moved to Dec. 22.

They're young people," said Bibbs. "Plus, in the NBA you play the next day, right? We'll be ready."