KENT, Ohio – The North Carolina A&T men's basketball team did not take good care of the basketball in Ohio and as a result they came away 0-2 in the Buckeye State as Kent State defeated the Aggies 71-57 at the Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center Friday night.
Sophomore Khary Doby led A&T with 16 points. Junior Arturs Bremers chipped in with 14 on 4-for-5 shooting from 3-point range and Bruce Beckford had 11 points and seven rebounds.
The Aggies (1-12) turned the ball over 26 times and Ohio State scored 40 points off those turnovers Wednesday night in a loss. Two nights later it wasn't much better. The Golden Flashes scored 29 points off 23 A&T turnovers. Eleven of those turnovers came from the Aggies freshman point guard Austin Williams.
“That was the difference in the game,” said Alexander. “Eleven turnovers from the point guard position are unacceptable.”
Alexander did praise his team for their effort as they remained competitive with the Golden Flashes (7-2) throughout despite the miscues. Alexander also stressed the Aggies effort must be matched with smart decisions late in games.
Kent State took its biggest lead of the game, 42-27, thanks to a Devareaux Manley 3-pointer. It was one of seven he scored on Friday night. A&T was able to stay within striking distance thanks to a poor night at the free throw line (13-for-27) by the Golden Flashes. A Bruce Beckford fadeaway jumper cut the Golden Flashes lead to 10 at 45-35 with 12:37 to play.
Bremers then made a move to his left to pull up for a 3-pointer, causing Manley to slip on the floor. Bremers' three went through the hoop, cutting the lead to seven. Manley left the game with a knee injury, and the Aggies took advantage of his absence.
After a Jimmy Hall free throw, the Aggies inched closer with another Beckford jumper that made it a 46-40 game with ten minutes to play. A&T withstood three Golden Flashes putbacks that rolled off the rim, giving the Aggies a chance to perhaps steal a road win. But A&T missed a point-blank layup and the Golden Flashes capitalized when Kris Brewer scored on a reverse layup on the other end to take a 48-40 lead with 8:48 to play.
The Aggies never got any closer than five the rest of the way. Manley returned to the game and knocked a 3-pointer that pushed the lead back to double figures, 61-49, with 3:02 remaining. Manley led Kent State with 24 points on 7-for-10 shooting from 3-point range.
“That was a big play,” Alexander said about the Aggies missed layup. “It's been like Groundhog Day for us the last 12 games. It's the same old story. We beat ourselves with bad decisions from various positions.”
A&T hopes to break its 12-game losing streak on Dec. 28 when it hosts North Carolina Wesleyan at Corbett Sports Center at 3 p.m. It will be the Aggies first home game since Nov. 17. Until the Aggies return to Corbett, Alexander will give his team five days off for Christmas before the team returns on Dec. 26.
“It's hard being a young team and playing this many games on the road,” Alexander said. “We just don't have the confidence to know what to do in clutch situations and as result we make poor decisions and turn the ball over. That's been the story the past 12 games.”
