GREENSBORO - Monday night started looking eerily like Saturday afternoon.

The Aggies lost a six-point lead in the final minute of Saturday's game against Bethune-Cookman thanks to missed free throws and clutch 3-point shooting from the Wildcats.

There was a lot of the same Monday night. There were some significant differences on Monday, however. The Aggies played better perimeter defense and they hit enough crucial free throws to defeat Florida A&M 85-82 in overtime at Corbett Sports Center.

"We had to fight for this," said N.C. A&T head coach Jerry Eaves. "But the kids stayed with it, held their composure and were able to win it.  It was big.  It definitely was.  It's so competitive; it's so personal in conference games.  We really needed to get our first conference win. We gave one away Saturday, and (wins) are hard to come by. It will take a burden off of us that we have got this conference win."

In the late seconds, Florida A&M's outstanding shooter Avery Moore started looking a lot like Bethune-Cookman's Kevin Dukes. Dukes hit two big 3-pointers in the final seconds of Saturday's game. On Monday, Moore found himself open in the corner and knocked down a 3-pointer with 36 seconds remaining to tie the game at 72. Moore finished with 22 on four made 3-pointers.

"They shot the ball tremendously down the wire," said Eaves. "Avery Moore hit some great shots, but my team persevered finally."

After Jeremy Dean rebounded a Lawrence Smith miss, the Rattlers had three seconds remaining to win the game. Dukes was able to get open on Saturday to hit a game-winning three thanks to a defensive lapse from the Aggies.

There was no such lapse on Monday. The Aggies closed out on Moore so quickly, he did not get his game-winning 3-point attempt off in time as the red light on the backboard was bright as Moore elevated off the floor to shoot. Moore knocked down the shot, but it was waved off to send the game into overtime.

"It was scary," said Eaves. "People have been hitting big shots against us. But there was no question; he did not get it off in time. The light was definitely on before he let it go. It was an easy call."

Junior guard Austin Witter gave the Aggies an 81-76 lead with 42 seconds remaining in the extra period. Yannick Crowder moved FAMU within three when he grabbed an Amin Stevens miss off the rim and dunked it with 27 seconds remaining.

Jeremy Underwood, who hit two big 3-pointers at the 12-minute mark of the second half, hit four consecutive free throws to help the Aggies capture an 85-79 lead with 14 seconds remaining. But the Rattlers kept Saturday fresh in the minds of Aggie fans as Reggie Lewis hit a 3-pointer to slice the lead to three.

In a déjà vu moment, Underwood missed two free throws to give FAMU an opportunity to tie the game. The Aggies chose not to foul, but instead play good defense. The Aggies got a hand Amin Stevens' face as he missed long to secure the win for N.C. A&T.

"Maybe there will become a time when we start to practice it where I might foul them when we're up three, to make them shoot free throws. But then you have to also rebound the ball.  When you're playing against a bigger, stronger team, it's not always a viable option.

Eaves said jokingly he wanted to hurt Underwood for missing two free throws that would have clinched the win for the Aggies. But he did compliment Underwood for the numerous hustle plays he produced. Junior forward Adrian Powell also earned praise from his head coach. Powell scored a career-high 22 points and matched a career high with 10 rebounds.

"He can shoot the jump shot, he's got a great mid-range game and he can dribble with either hand. He's a tough matchup," said Eaves.

The Aggies will head to Washington, D.C., to play Howard Saturday afternoon at 4.