GREENSBORO-After three weeks away from Corbett Sports Center, the North Carolina A&T women's basketball team hoped having the home court advantage back would help relieve their scoring woes.

But while guards Tracy King and Amber Calvin had a productive homecoming, they couldn't lead the Aggies (6-8, 1-0) to a win past the UNC-Wilmington (7-5).  The Aggies lost their final non-conference contest of the season, 90-63. It was their first home loss in six games this season, and the Aggies endured their sixth straight defeat overall.   

"We shot 50 percent in the first half. When we came back, we didn't have more than three or four assists," said head coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs. 

The Aggies had no trouble scoring early. They shot 50 percent from the floor in the first half. Unfortunately, the Seahawks managed to shoot the ball even better. They shot an incredible 67.9 percent from the floor over the first 20 minutes and led 44-32 at the half. Both teams cooled off in the second half, but the Seahawks still shot 56.9, had five players score in double digits and they out-rebounded the Aggies 41-24.

The Aggies were only able to collect nine points in the first eight minutes of the second half.  The Seahawks used the A&T scoring droughts and turnovers to their advantage, pulling ahead to a 68-41 lead with 11:30 left in the game.  

The Aggies chipped away at the lead, as King hit a 3-pointer from the left corner of the court to end a four-minute drought.  That was followed by a Calvin 3-pointer.  Calvin then made a steal, and drove down the court to the basket.  She was fouled by Jessica Freeman, and made one free throw.  Calvin collected another steal drove down again and neatly passed to King for the layup to make it a 73-50 game with 7:50 left.  But with 3:58 left, the Aggies were still down 24.

What makes N.C. A&T's six-game losing streak puzzling is that it follows a six-game winning streak that included wins over Clemson and mid-major standout Liberty. It leaves Bibbs trying to rethink how to get back on the right track. 

"I've got to get my team back," Bibbs said. "I will get with my coaches and see what we have and hopefully we can get it together.   It's tough, it really is. Sometimes you think you've got it and that you're good, but you have to give these young kids some time to grow.  In 14 games, some of them have grown, but we don't have leadership, we don't have people that lead."

The on-floor scoring leadership came from King, who ended the game with a team-high 24 points, her second consecutive 20-plus point game. She also had a team-high five rebounds.  Calvin added 14 points with a team-high four steals three assists.  Berry collected 11 points with five rebounds

"Tracy can't do it by herself," Bibbs added.  "She gives it her all, she really does. But our upperclassmen aren't showing up on the stats."

In her efforts to motivate her upperclassmen, Bibbs did not start redshirt sophomore Calvin and juniors Berry and Nikia Gorham, electing instead to start three freshmen.

The lead changed hands frequently early in the first half, but a 9-0 run, led by UNCW junior Tawanna Lee's seven points during the run, gave the Seahawks a 26-16 lead with nine minutes left.  Calvin stopped the run with a 3-pointer, and King made a layup to bring the Aggies within five at 26-21 with 8:25 left in the first period.  But UNCW answered with a quick four points of its own and continued to add to its lead.       

UNCW Alisha Andrews' 15 points, 10 assists, five steals and five rebounds. Jessica Freeman came off the bench to score 18. The Aggies will host their first conference opponent of the season, Bethune-Cookman, on Saturday at 2 p.m., in the first game of a basketball doubleheader at Corbett Sports Center.    

"We'll get it right by Saturday.  It will be right," Bibbs said.  "We're going to start a winning streak on Saturday. "