DOVER, Del. (February 1, 2017) – In the midst of a difficult four-game road swing, North Carolina A&T never got going Wednesday night as Delaware State earned a season sweep over the Aggies in an 82-65 men's basketball win at Memorial Hall.
Aaron Scales picked up his first double-double of the season with a team-leading 14 points and 12 rebounds while also picking up a block. Amari Hamilton led the team with three 3-pointers on his way to 13 points and three assists. It was his fifth straight game in double figures.
Davaris McGowens came off the bench to score 13 points and five rebounds on 7-for-9 shooting from the free throw line. The Aggies (1-21, 0-9 MEAC) finished the game shooting 36.5 percent from the floor, while the Hornets shot 50.8 percent and for the third straight game, a N.C. A&T opponent made 10-plus 3-pointers as the Hornets connected on 11 of them. The Aggies have surrendered 40 3-pointers in the last three games.
N.C. A&T never held the lead Wednesday night as the Hornets hit four 3-pointers in the first nine minutes of the game to take an 18-8 lead. N.C. A&T was able to hold steady as junior Eliel Gonzalez hit a three to cut the Hornets lead to 25-17. After a Devin Morgan basket, Hamilton answered with a short jumper to get the deficit back to within eight. The Hornets (6-18, 3-6 MEAC) began to pull away after Hamilton's basket.
DeVaughn Mallory hit a jump shot to give DSU a 39-23 lead with 3:17 remaining in the first half. N.C. A&T kept fighting back throughout the game as freshman Raymon Pratt grabbed a Hamilton miss and put it back to send the Aggies into the locker room at halftime down 42-31. Pratt's hustle kept paying off. His 3-point play put the Aggies to within eight, 49-41, with 14:39 to play in the game. Dana Raysor ended the Aggies momentum with a 3-pointer to put the Hornets ahead double figures again.
Fighting to keep Delaware State's lead manageable became a staple of the second half. The Aggies got the Hornets' lead under 10 several times in the second half, but were never able to get any closer than eight. The final time the Aggies reduced DSU's lead under 10 came on a Gonzalez 3-pointer to put the Aggies down 65-57 with 6:11 to play. The Hornets responded with five straight points including a 3-pointer from Morgan to give the Hornets a 70-57 lead.
Morgan led the Hornets with 16 points on 4-for-7 shooting from 3-point range. Kobe Gantz came off the bench to add 15 points on 7-for-9 shooting.
N.C. A&T continues its difficult road trip with a game in St. Louis to face the St. Louis Billikens 7 p.m., Saturday.
