PRINCESS ANNE, Md. – Despite 25 years as a men's basketball coach, North Carolina A&T's Cy Alexander finds himself in the same predicament as many of his players.
He is trying to learn his way through a situation he has never faced before. The Aggies lost their ninth straight with a 69-58 loss to Maryland Eastern Shore Monday night at the William P. Hytche Center. The loss dropped A&T to 1-9 overall and 0-2 in the young MEAC season.
Junior Bruce Beckford led A&T with 14 points and 12 rebounds for his seventh career double-double. Sophomore Khary Doby and junior Arturs Bremers added 13 points apiece.
“It is going to be a process for me and it is going to be a process for them,” said Alexander who coached a team Monday night that has 11 players who have yet to play 30 career games. “I've never been through anything like this before – with guards who are so inexperienced. But I believe it is going to build character in our players for the stretch run, and it is definitely going to make me tougher as a coach.”
Alexander's youthful team played well to start the game. They frustrated UMES' leading scorer and 6-foot-9 center Michael Myers, Jr., in the first half with a zone that packed it in on him in the post. The Hawks shooters were also ineffective and the Aggies used freshman point guard Austin Williams to penetrate into the lane and cause havoc.
With 30 seconds remaining in the first half, Aggies center Steven Burrough grabbed a defensive rebound and hit Williams with an outlet pass that Williams turned into a 34-23 Aggies lead. UMES guard Devon Walker's 3-pointer with three seconds remaining in the first half put the Hawks down 34-26 at the half.
The three at the time did not seem significant, but it would be a sign of things to come for UMES. The Hawks (4-7, 1-1 MEAC) used the Aggies inexperience against them by extending their defense to full-court pressure in the second half. Five Aggie turnovers between the 15:54 and 11:17 marks of the second half ignited a 16-2 UMES run that not only gave the Hawks their first lead of the game, it helped them extend it to 51-43.
During the run, the Hawks knocked down three 3-pointers. The Hawks were 11-for-26 from 3-point range with Devon Martin going 4-for-8, Walker hitting 4-for-9 and Ryan Andino going 3-for-8. “I commend UMES for their effort in the second half,” said Alexander. “They shot the ball extremely well. The 3-point shot has hurt us all year long, and it hurt us again tonight.”
The Aggies were still able to get the lead down to three, 51-48, on a Bremers 3-pointer with 10 minutes to play. But Myers began to establish himself in the post, the Hawks went into the bonus with 11 minutes to play and three Aggie big men – Bryan Akinkugbe, Burrough and Jerome Simmons – all fouled out trying to guard Myers in the post. In the end, the Hawks shot 38 free throws.
“He stepped up his intensity level in the second half and we didn't match it,” said Alexander. “I think the only thing he decided to do was play harder.”
After the Bremers three, the Hawks scored the next seven points, including a Martin 3-pointer to go ahead 58-48. Beckford was able to get the lead to six at 61-55 with four minutes to play. But Martin, who was 13-for-16 from the line, sealed the win with free throws.
“We lost our poise because of pressure and that's a direct attribute to having young guards,” said Alexander. “I feel bad for our team because they're trying so hard and we're so close.”
Martin finished with 27 points and 12 rebounds. Walker had 14 and Myers had 12 points and seven boards.
The Aggies will step outside of conference to face Old Dominion Sunday afternoon at 2 in Norfolk, Va.
