Amber Bland, in a preseason feature article, said that she and her teammates loved to play at home. After 41 days and seven games away from Corbett Sports Center, the Aggies were more than eager to continue their dominance in the 5,700-seat arena.
N.C. A&T (10-5, 4-0 MEAC), ranked in the top three of every league offensive category, shot 53.3 percent from the field and a blistering 7-of-10 from 3-point range en route to an 82-46 victory over Maryland Eastern Shore (4-9, 2-2). The victory extended the team’s homecourt winning streak to 15 games.
The Aggies opened the game on a 12-0 run, but Josephine McLaine hit a pair of 3-pointers, while Casey Morton added a third in a 16-5 Hawk run to put the visitors within a point, 17-16, with 11:46 remaining.
Following the media timeout, Bland and Brittanie Taylor-James took over the contest, as they combined for 15 points in a 19-7 run that essentially put the game out of reach. Bland started the run with a 3-pointer, then Taylor-James made a jumper and added three free throws. Back-to-back 3-pointers by Taylor-James polished off the run, as the Aggies went into halftime ahead, 49-30.
Bland and Taylor-James scored 15 points apiece in the half as they combined to go 11-for-16 from the field, including 5-for-6 from 3-point range. As a team the Aggies made 19-of-31 shots (61.3 percent) with 14 assists. Defensively, the Aggies held UMES to 12-of-30 from the field (40 percent) and forced 10 turnovers.
The Aggies turned up the defensive intensity in the second half to force 17 turnovers and allow just 16 points. Most of the second half work was done by the Aggie reserves, which allowed the starters to rest.
Bland finished with 23 points in just 27 minutes, with six rebounds, four assists, and four steals. The league’s top 3-point shooter canned all five of her 3-point attempts to raise her percentage to .492 (29-for-59).
Taylor-James finished with 17 points to stand just six points away from becoming the 11th player in school history to reach the 1,000-point plateau, joining teammates Bland and Ta’ Wuana Cook.
Adobi Agbasi led UMES with nine points. April McBride, ranked among the league’s best scorers, finished with seven points, seven below her average.
N.C. A&T will host preseason number two pick Delaware State at 6 p.m. on Monday in Corbett Sports Center.