MANHATTAN, Kan. – North Carolina A&T women's basketball lost to the University of Tennessee Martin (UT Martin) 58-40 at Kansas State's Bramlage Coliseum Sunday during the preseason WNIT's second day of play.
"We ran into a more determined team tonight," A&T coach Tarrell Robinson said. "UT Martin did a great job of scouting us and executing their game plan. I am pleased that we were able to cut down our turnovers in this game. We need to continue building chemistry and having an understanding of what Lady Aggie basketball is."
After a combined 60 turnovers over the first two games of the season, the Aggies only 15 on Sunday. The Aggies shot 30.2 percent from the floor, including 14.3 percent from 3-point range. UT Martin shot 48.9 percent from the floor and 36.8 percent from three.
Graduate Kiana Adderton led the Aggies with 14 points on 6-for-10 shooting from the floor, including 2-for-4 from 3-point range in 12 minutes of action. Sophomore Sean Kelly Darks added six points, two steals, two rebounds and two assists.
Chanin Scott added six points and a team-high six rebounds. D'Mya Tucker had a game-high three steals.
UT Martin (1-1) scored the first eight points of the game, but the Aggies battled back to trail by two, 12-10, at the end of the first quarter as Darks led the way with six points.
The Seahawks used another 8-0 run over the first three minutes of the second quarter to take a 20-10 lead. But Adderton had seven points over three minutes to get the Aggies to within seven at 25-18.
The Seahawks outscored the Aggies 8-2 the remainder of the half to take a 33-20 halftime lead. Adderton scored nine points during the quarter, shooting 4-for-7 from the floor.
Thanks to a Rochelle Lee layup, A&T (0-3) cut the Seahawks lead to 12, 39-27, with 4:16 remaining in the third. But six straight points by the Seahawks to close the quarter gave them a 45-27 lead going into the fourth.
UT Martin added a 9-4 spurt to open the fourth quarter to take a 54-31 lead to put the Aggies away.
Holly Forbes led UT Martin with a game-high 20 points. Paige Pipkin added 13 points and a game-high seven rebounds.
