GREENVILLE – North Carolina A&T had its four-game winning streak snapped on Sunday with a 71-60 loss to East Carolina at Minges Coliseum. Yet, for the most part the men's basketball program still feels positive about the direction the 2015-16 team is headed.

The Aggies (4-8) stayed competitive throughout against an East Carolina team that is a high mid-major playing out of the American Athletic Conference. At one point, the Aggies held a 7-point lead, only trailed 29-26 at halftime and were within eight at the 5-minute mark of the second half.

All of this despite off nights from Graduate guard Joshea Singleton (1-for-7 from the floor, 0-for-3 from the line) and sophomore guard Sam Hunt (2-for-10 from the floor). Bruce Beckord did finish with 22 points and five rebounds on 8-for-15 shooting.

“If we get those guys to shoot like they normally shoot, it's anybody's ballgame,” said N.C. A&T head coach Cy Alexander. “I still feel like we're getting better. We were in a ballgame with a high mid-major 75 percent of the time. Everything we did wrong tonight is correctable. If we correct the negatives and build on the positives, I like our chances the next five games.”

Alexander has set a goal for his team to walk away with a winning record over their next five games leading into MEAC play against Savannah State on Jan. 9. Those slate of games includes Grambling at home (Dec. 17) on Thursday, at Toledo on Dec. 21, at home against Kent State on Dec. 30, at USC Upstate on Jan. 5 before playing in Savannah, Ga.

The Aggies were in search of win No. 5 on Sunday as they jumped out to an 18-11 lead with 8 ½ minutes to play. But the Aggies went five minutes without scoring, allowing the Pirates to take a 20-18 lead before sophomore Jamin Lackey tied the game at 20 with 3:34 to play in the first half. N.C. A&T went another two minutes without a basket as ECU jumped ahead 29-20. But the Aggies closed the half with six straight points, including an Ahmad Abdullah 3-pointer at the buzzer to go into the half down three.

N.C. A&T's run extended into the second half as they scored the first five points including a 3-point play from Abdullah to give A&T a 31-29 advantage. A Clarence Williams 3-pointer put the Pirates back in front before a high-low play where junior center Steven Burrough lobbed the ball down in the post to Beckford for a layup gave the Aggies the lead back at 33-32. Beckford would score again on another high-low play from Burrough to move the lead to three.

But the Pirates (6-4) scored the next seven points thanks to long misses from three and turnovers to take a 39-35 lead. The Pirates lead grew to as much as 12, 56-44, before N.C. A&T to get as close as seven on two Beckford free throws with three minutes to play.

ECU guard B.J. Tyson gave the Aggies trouble all afternoon with dribble penetration as he scored 21 points on 7-for-11 shooting.

“The high ball screen hurt us,” said Alexander. “We should have tried to go under it and meet the guy versus trying to go over the top. Every time we tried to go over the top (Tyson) was by us. It created a help situation. Then they pitched it and then they pitched it one more. That's something we have to work on Tuesday and Wednesday because these next five are crucial for us.”