LAS VEGAS – North Carolina A&T's 3-point shooting almost made the difference Sunday afternoon during the final day of the Chris Paul Boost Mobile HBCU Challenge at MGM Grand Garden Arena. But the Aggies offense did not execute on their last possession as the Norfolk State Spartans beat A&T 70-66 in men's basketball non-conference action.
The Aggies, who shot 47.8 percent (11-for-23) from 3-point range, had to lean on their outside shooting because starting 6-foot-9 forward Austin Johnson left with an injury during the game's first seven minutes. With post players Will Felton (6-9) and Harry Morrice (6-11) already out for the season, the Aggies got even smaller on Sunday.
Yet with 1:02 to play in the game, Aggies junior forward Marcus Watson bounced a crisp pass to a cutting Kyle Duke for a layup to tie the game at 66. On the other end of the floor, the Aggies forced reigning Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) player of the year Joe Bryant, Jr. into a miss.
But as the ball came off the rim, officials called Aggies sophomore guard Kam Woods for a hook and hold on the rebound attempt, sending Kris Bankston to the free throw line. Bankston netted both free throws to give Norfolk a 68-66 lead with 35 seconds remaining.
After an Aggies timeout, Watson found himself in an isolation situation. But as he drove to the basket, another Norfolk defender came to help, forcing Watson into a bad pass and turnover. Bryant came up with the steal, was fouled and went to the free throw line to make two more Spartan free throws.
"The first few minutes of the game, we lost our tallest player, Austin Johnson," said A&T interim head coach Phillip Shumpert. "But our guys responded, fought and did a heckuva job throughout the basketball game. It came down to one play. It was a play we should have capitalized on but didn't. So, we've got to move on and get ready for the next opponent."
Norfolk State outrebounded the Aggies 33-30 and had a 16-2 advantage in second-chance points. It was an offensive rebound and put-back by Bankston that gave the Spartans a 64-55 lead with 4:55 remaining in the game.
"It hurts to continually lose big men," said Shumpert. "We've got two out for the season and then had one out in the first few minutes. It's really frustrating to have a game plan, and then it unfurls because you lose all your size. But give credit to Norfolk State. They're a well-coached basketball team. They did a good job of exploiting the fact we didn't have a lot of size."
The Aggies used 20-foot-plus shots to battle back, however. Two-and-half minutes after Bankston's basket, A&T senior guard Demetric Horton set his feet for a 3-point shot and swished it to cut Norfolk's lead to 66-61. Woods followed with a three that rolled around the rim before falling in to cut the deficit to two. Duke followed with his layup that tied the game at 66.
"We needed to move the basketball," said Shumpert about the Aggies late run. "Don't try to be a hero. When you move the basketball side to side, we can get dribble penetration and kick out for threes or get the ball in the paint a little more. We made those adjustments, which helped us get back into the ball game."
The last time the two teams played a 74-68 A&T win in East Greensboro on Feb. 1, 2020, they were both members of the MEAC. Therefore, the game played like two teams locked into a heated contest. Norfolk led most of the game but never by more than nine. Bankston ended the first half with an offensive rebound and dunk to give the Spartans a 34-28 halftime lead.
Kam Woods led the Aggies with 15 points, six assists and five rebounds on 4-for-9 shooting from 3-point range. Watson had 12 points, and Horton finished with 11 points and six rebounds on 3-for-6 shooting from three. Dana Tate led the Spartans with 24 points as he connected on six threes.
