TOWSON, Md. – North Carolina A&T leads the Morgan State James Brown Invitational bowling event after a 3-2 showing on Saturday at Country Club Lanes. 

Freshman Melanie Katen leads the individual standings after totaling 1,073 pins to average 214.60 over five games. She leads the standings by 43 pins, with one traditional match left on Sunday. She knocked down 200-plus pins in four of the five games she bowled. 

As a team, the Aggies remain in first place after the second day of the tournament with 9,961 total pins. They recorded the second-best score on Saturday at 4,772 total pins. Seventeenth-ranked Duquesne recorded 4,783 total pins.    

The Dukes are 516 pins behind the Aggies in second place with 9,445 pins, and No. 15 Delaware State is in third with 9,314 pins. 

Katen opened Day 2 with a spectacular performance against Coppin State. She led the Aggies to a 1,080-928 win by pulverizing 248 pins, her best showing of the day. Three other Aggies surpassed the 200-mark, including senior Cameron Strombeck's 216, sophomore Lauren Tomaszewski's 213 and junior Ericka Quesada's 209. Strombeck and Tomaszewski also had their best showings of the day against the Eagles, and senior Ana Olaya came close to 200 by bowling a 194. 

 N.C. A&T defeated Youngstown State next, with a 958-899 triumph. Katen and Quesada led the way as Katen finished with a 216, and Quesada had her best outing of the day with a 214. Olaya contributed with a 192.                                     

The Aggies did fall to Delaware State, 954-926. For the third straight game, Katen exceeded 200 pins with an impressive 242 score. Strombeck came through with a solid 205, and Quesada posted a 180. N.C. A&T suffered another defeat in its next game as the Dukes won 932-835. Strombeck led the way with her third 200-plus performance as she finished with 200 total pins. 

Saturday did end on a high note for N.C. A&T as they beat host Morgan State, 973-781. Katen returned to her impressive ways with a 211. But it was junior Pamela Warr who led the way with her best score of the day, a 214. Junior Cristina Acosta complemented Warr with an outstanding 202 score. Quesada also reached the 200-pin plateau with a score of 200.  

In the individual standings, Quesada is in seventh with 960 total pins and a five-game average of 192.20. Strombeck finished the day in 12th, totaling 940 pins for a five-game average of 188.00. 

Tomaszewski and Olaya bowled the first three games. Tomaszewski totaled 545 pins for a 181.67 average. Olaya totaled 516 pins to average 172. Warr and Acosta bowled in the final two matches of the day. Warr totaled 371 pins and averaged 185.50. Acosta totaled 366 pins and averaged 183. 

The Aggies finish the tournament Sunday with one traditional match and two best –of-7 backer series.