BALTIMORE, MD – North Carolina A&T men's basketball team secured its first road win of the season Tuesday, besting fellow HBCU opponent Morgan State Bears 79-73 in front of an energetic crowd.
It's the Aggies' fourth consecutive game with an adjusted starting lineup after they had to secure this victory without leading scorer Lureon Walker, 6-foot-5 sophomore guard Dwayne Pierce, 6-8 redshirt sophomore forward Zamoku Weluche-Ume, and 6-9 fifth-year center KJ Debrick. However, the team proved ready for the challenge.
Despite the absence from the lineup, the Aggies improved to 3-1 on the season, their first 3-1 start since the 2017-18 season. They are on a three-game winning streak.
Redshirt freshman Lewis Walker stepped in for his first collegiate career start and led all scorers with 24 points on 7-for-13 shooting from the floor. He went 9-for-11 from the free throw line and added nine rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Redshirt sophomore William Felton added 15 points in 18 minutes, going 7-for-8 from the field, while collecting eight rebounds.
"The heart, grit, and toughness these guys showed… so proud of them," said head coach Monté Ross, who spent a lot of time and intention to help put this roster together. "You're down so many starters, and these guys didn't care. They said 'Look, this is my job and my opportunity, and I'm going to take advantage of it tonight."
The Aggies dominated the boards, grabbing 40 missed shots to the Bears' 24, while also improving at the free throw line with a 21-for-27 showing. The Aggies also dished out 18 assists on 26 made field goals, led by freshman Brooklyn Vick, who had five assists to go along with 11 points, five rebounds, and a 6-for-6 night at the free throw line.
A&T entered the locker room at halftime with a 45-38 lead before a pull-up jumper and a pair of free throws from Lewis Walker within the first minute of the third expanded the gap to the largest of the night, 49-38.
Morgan State slowed the leak and battled back over time to tie the game at 60-60 with 11 minutes to play, following a contested 3-pointer from Walter Peggs on the wing. However, the Bears could not take the lead, as they felt the presence of Felton, who scored the next seven Aggie points and grabbed two rebounds over the next four minutes, giving the Aggies a cushion with a 67-62 advantage.
"He's a monster in there. He's a load," said Ross about Felton. "He's strong. He's athletic. He's moving better than he has ever moved. We have to temper his minutes, but I was really happy with the way he played tonight."
The Aggies maintained their five-point lead on Lewis Walker's jumper with 4:49 to play, but the Bears went on a 6-0 run, finished off by Eugene Alvin's jumper in the lane, to put Morgan State ahead 73-72 with 2:06 left in the game. However, Lewis Walker had an emphatic response, netting a humongous 3-pointer with 1:39 to play to give the Aggies the lead for good. Four Vick free throws clinched the win for the Aggies.
"We're on the road, and the crowd is going crazy on you, but he stepped up there like a vet and knocked them down. I was really, really proud of him for that," said Ross about Vick's game-clinching free throws."
Trent Middleton Jr. also scored in double figures with 13 points. Elijah Davis led the Bears with 21 points.
The Aggies will travel to Davidson, NC, to face the Davidson Wildcats on Friday, November 28, at John M. Belka Arena.
