GREENSBORO – North Carolina A&T men's basketball is putting together its best stretch of the season at an ideal time. The home finale for the Aggies was a good example of that Saturday afternoon at Corbett Sports Center, with a hefty dose of thrills provided by sophomore wing Bryson Ogletree.
Ogletree sank a free throw with 0.6 seconds to play to give A&T the 73-72 Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) victory over Stony Brook University (SBU) on Senior Day.
"The guys just having the heart and the guts just to stay with it, no matter what the circumstance is," A&T coach Monté Ross said.
Jahnathan Lamothe's 23 points led the way. Meanwhile, Ogletree finished with a career-high 19 points, Camian Shell posted 15 and Nikolaos Chitikoudis had 14 for an Aggies team that has won three out of four to improve to 7-22 overall and 3-13 in CAA play.
"I definitely think this is the best basketball we've been playing," Shell said. "Our coaches keep in our head that we want to play our best basketball going into March."
The Aggies got a defensive stop with about three seconds remaining. Shell rifled a pass through the middle of the court to the awaiting Ogletree, who turned to finish with a layup at the rim, but SBU's Collin O'Connor fouled him with 0.6 seconds remaining.
Shell said he checked the clock when he grabbed the ball.
"I saw I had about three seconds and I saw Bryson wide open by himself," Shell said. "My first instinct was (to) get it down there."
Ogletree broke the tie by making the first of the two attempts. He intentionally missed the second attempt, and the clock ran out before either team gained possession. Shell didn't get credit for an assist on the last play, but he had five assists in the game.
"One of the big reasons we're playing the way we are is because of Cam," Ross said. "He's a vocal leader out there for us. He has been keeping these guys together. I can't be prouder of him and the way that his season has turned around.
As he has turned around, our season has turned around. That's how important he is."
Ogletree scored 11 points in the first eight minutes of the second half as A&T built an 11-point lead.
"I was really worried when we went up 10 points," Ross said. "I said, 'Shoot, our guys haven't been up 10. They don't know what to do.'"
SBU rallied to within 62-59 before Shell's pass set up Ogletree's basket. Shell provided back-to-back baskets for a 72-65 lead. But Andre Snoddy's 3-pointer with 52.3 seconds remaining pulled the Seawolves even before the final sequence.
A&T used only six players again. Lamothe and Chitikoudis both recorded double-doubles by pulling down 11 rebounds.
"It's just the trust," Ross said of the team's perseverance.
A&T opened the second half on an 8-1 spurt to go ahead 42-39. Ogletree's 3-pointer and Chitikoudis' putback pushed the Aggies to a 55-46 advantage.
CJ Luster scored all of his game-high 23 in the second half to pace SBU, which fell into last place in the CAA at 6-22 overall and 2-13 in league play. The Seawolves slid out to an eight-point lead before going to the break with a 38-33 edge. Lamothe collected 16 first-half points.
SBU survived on 3-pointers, with seven of the Seawolves' field goals in the opening half coming from beyond the arc.
"We're a second-half team," Ross said. "These guys, they don't quit. These guys don't waver."
NOTES: Lamothe and Shell played all 40 minutes, marking the fifth time for Lamothe this season and the seventh for Shell … The Aggies' win on Saturday marks the first time they have won back-to-back games since beating The Citadel on Nov. 17 and Morgan State on Nov. 20 ... A&T's 42-30 rebounding advantage marked the sixth consecutive game that the Aggies have finished with an advantage on the boards. … Players Kyle Duke, Jason Murphy and Jordan Martin were recognized during the pregame ceremony. … The Aggies close the regular season with games Thursday night at Northeastern and next Saturday at Hofstra.
