NORFOLK, Va. - Patricia Cage-Bibbs says she is where she wants to be. Her North Carolina A&T women's basketball team closed out the season with a convincing 91-63 win over Norfolk State on Thursday to secure the No. 3 seed in next week's MEAC Tournament in Winston-Salem.
In the standings, the Aggies finished tied for second with Morgan State. Morgan State goes in as the No. 2 seed because they swept the Aggies during the regular season.
"We would have loved to had won our fourth straight regular season, but we were predicted to finish second in the preseason and that's where we are. It's great to exceed expectations, but meeting expectations is not bad either."
The Aggies controlled the game from the start. They opened on a 17-3 run capped off by a Tracy King 3-pointer. The Spartans (9-18, 2-14) never got any closer than nine points the rest of the night, and the Aggies lead never dipped below 16 after the seven-minute mark of the first half.
First-team All-MEAC performer Jaquayla Berry hit all nine of her shots, including three 3-pointers to lead the Aggies with 23 points. She also had three steals, giving her 89 on the season and leaving her two steals shy of breaking the single-season school record.
King had a season-best 25 points and 11 rebounds on 8-for-14 shooting, and Nikia Gorham added 12 points and 10 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season. The Aggies won their 10th straight game over the Spartans.
"I am truly proud of my young ladies," said Bibbs. "To finish in a tie for second is truly a blessing when think about all that we have been through this season with injuries. I thought everyone made a contribution tonight. Hopefully, this momentum carries over to the MEAC Tournament."
The Aggies (15-13, 10-6) will open the tournament noon Thursday at the Lawrence Joel Coliseum against the winner of the sixth-seeded Howard Bison and the 11th seeded Norfolk State Spartans.
