WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – North Carolina A&T redshirt freshman Lewis Walker broke the freshman single-game scoring record with 33 points. Still, the Aggies could not win the men's basketball Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) offensive showdown that took place at Kaplan Arena.
William & Mary University (WMU) shot 57.9 percent (33-57) from the field and 9-for-16 (56.3) from 3-point range to defeat A&T 97-88. A&T was slightly more accurate from the field, shooting a season-best 59.3 percent (32-54) while going 8-for-18 (.444) from 3-point range. It was A&T's best shooting percentage since shooting 62.1 percent against Carver Baptist College on January 16, 2021.
It was the Aggies' best shooting output against a Division I opponent since shooting 60.3 percent against S.C. State on January 2, 2021. Despite the Aggies hot shooting on Thursday, they dropped to 7-9 overall and 0-5 in CAA action.
"No one is happy being 0-5 obviously, but we have plenty of room and plenty of time to grow and rectify this bump we're on right now," said A&T head coach Monté Ross. "It's going to be us that does it. No one is going to feel sorry for us. We have to get ourselves out of this. And we will."
Walker took down the single-game freshman record set by Sean Booker on January 27, 2004, when he had 29 points in a win over Bethune-Cookman. Walker went an incredible 11-for-14 from the floor and 3-for-4 from 3-point range. He also made 8 of his 10 free throws. Junior Trent Middleton, Jr., added 20 points on 4-for-5 shooting from 3-point range. In addition, sophomore Zamoku Weluche-Ume secured his third double-double in four games with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
"It's easy to give in when you're on the road," said Ross. "But these guys fight tooth and nail every single possession, and I appreciate them for it."
The Aggies trailed by 10 with five minutes remaining in the first half before getting to within two at the half, 42-40. After the first four minutes of the second half, the Aggies found themselves down by 10, and with 12:20 remaining in the game, a Reese Miller layup put the Tribe ahead by 10, 63-53. Over the next three minutes, the Aggies outscored the Tribe 11-4, which Walker capped off with a 3-point play to bring the Aggies to within three at 67-64.
A 10-2 WMU run put the Tribe ahead by double figures again, 77-66, with 7:47 to play. WMU's lead stood at 10, 88-78, with three minutes remaining. But the Aggies still had some fight left as they came storming back again. A Walker 3-pointer cut the lead to seven before a Middleton 3-pointer with 2:12 to play got A&T to within six, 90-84.
Weluche-Ume cut WMU's lead to five, 93-88, with 31 seconds to play on a dunk. However, the Aggies could not get any closer.
"We've got to get stops," said Ross about his team's defensive effort. "We weren't able to get stops in the key moments when we needed them. But we're making strides. It's hard to tell against a team like this because they play so fast. They have been missing open shots, but they didn't miss open shots today, so our defense is getting better, and it will start to manifest itself out here on the court soon."
Miller and Tunde Vahlberg Fasasi led WMU with 19 points apiece. The Tribe also outscored the Aggies 21-14 in points off turnovers. A&T returns to action on Monday, January 19, when they return to the Tidewater area to face HBCU rival Hampton University at the HU Convention Center on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The game will air live on CBS Sports Network, starting approximately at 9 p.m.
