Lady Aggies win 3rd straight

Senior guard Aliyah Kilpatrick led the Aggies with four assists and three steals against N.C. Central. Photo courtesy Charles Watkins

DURHAM – North Carolina A&T women’s basketball team picked up their third straight win with their 62-38 victory over rival North Carolina Central at McDougald-McLendon Arena in Durham on Saturday afternoon.

Junior Michelle Fitzgerald had a career-high 17 points to go along with two assists, four rebounds and a block. First-year guard Dana Brown scored 11 including two 3-pointers. Freshman center Alexus Lessears, who has found herself in foul trouble throughout the season, was able to stay on the floor and grab 12 rebounds to tie her season-high. She also had eight points and two assists. Aliyah Kilpatrick led the team with four assists and three steals.

N.C. A&T (8-12, 4-3 MEAC) has now won 14 straight against N.C. Central with a 22.3-point differential in those contests. Their largest margin of victory was 40 on Dec. 1, 2012. The Aggies finished Saturday’s game shooting 42.6 percent from the floor. The Aggies found themselves trailing by six at the end of the first quarter, 18-12, but a huge offensive second quarter for the Aggies gave N.C. A&T the momentum they needed to get the game going in their favor. The Aggies went on a 12-0 run to start the second quarter aided by a 3-pointer from Brown and a 3-point play from Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald finished the half with 15 points as the Aggies outscored the Eagles 23-2 in the second period by shooting 50 percent and holding the Eagles to 8.3 percent shooting.

The Aggies closed the half on an 11-0 streak that ended with a gorgeous hop-step layup from Brown to give the Aggies a 35-20 halftime lead. N.C. A&T continued to dominate the Eagles in the second half and eventually moved to a 21-point lead, 46-25, with 3:10 remaining in the third. The Eagles were able to close out the third quarter on a 6-2 run, taking the score to 48-31 heading into the final quarter of play.