Aggies Place First After First Day Friday

TOWSON, Md. – North Carolina A&T knocked down at least 1,000 pins in each of the five matches they bowled during the first day of the Morgan State James Brown Invitational at Country Club Lanes. 

The Aggies (17-2), who ranked No. 13 in the National Tenpin Coaches Association (NTCA) poll, went 5-0 on Friday, totaled 5,189 pins and averaged 207.6 pins per game to end the day in first place by 453 pins. 

Fifteenth-ranked Delaware State is second with 4,736 pins (189.4), followed by No. 17 Duquesne with 4,662 pins and No. 8 Youngstown State with 4,345.

The Aggies started the day with the highest five-game total of 1,089 as it topped Duquesne's 905. 

N.C. A&T recorded all five games of 180-plus pins, including three 200-plus games. The Aggies started with a 216-194 lead in the first game and extended their lead with a 245-183 in the second game. N.C. A&T outscored the Dukes 189-160 in the third game, but Duquesne outscored the Aggies 192-182 in the fourth. The Aggies finished with 257-176 for the 185-pin win.

N.C. A&T continued with a 1,009-757 win over host Morgan State. N.C. A&T outscored the Bears in each of the five games. The Aggies started with a 168-155 in the first game and then bowled the highest game of the day, resulting in a 277-136 victory. N.C. A&T bowled its second consecutive 200-plus game with a 200-158 advantage in the third game, followed by a 192-170 in the fourth. The Aggies finished off the Bears with a 172-138 total in the fifth game.             

The Aggies defeated Coppin State 1,046-791 and bowled at least 190 in each of the five games, including finishing with three consecutive 200-plus games. 

N.C. A&T defeated Youngstown State 1,003-863 in the fourth match. The Aggies started with a 169-143 in the first game and a 216-181 in the second. The Penguins outscored N.C. A&T 198-192 in the third game, but the Aggies outscored the Penguins over the final two games, 426-341, to win by 140 pins. 

The Aggies finished the day with a 1,042-912 win over Delaware State. N.C. A&T started off with two 200-plus games, a 200-159 advantage in the first game followed by a 235-194 advantage in the second. The Hornets outscored the Aggies 208-172 in the third game, but N.C. A&T outscored DSU over the final two games, 453-351, to win by 130 pins. 

N.C. A&T continues the second day of the tournament with traditional matches Saturday and concludes Sunday with baker best-of-seven.