The Lady Aggie Basketball team opened their season Friday night in the Women’s National Invitational Tournament in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., with an 80-64 loss to Marist at the McCann Center.

Senior Ta’Wuana cook led the Aggies with 15 points and five rebounds and sophomore Crystal Murdaugh added 10 points and eight rebounds. Junior Jaleesa Sams finished with10 points. Rachele Fitz led all scorers with 30 points; she added nine rebounds for the Red Foxes. Kristine Best recorded five assists for Marist.

After being down 7-1 at the 3:15 mark in the game, Sams recorded two jump shots for the Aggies decreasing the margin 15-9. The Aggies cut the lead to three 11 minutes into the game but Marist would go on a 9-2 run putting them up 25-15 with just under nine minutes left in first half. The Aggies tried to chip away at the Red Foxes lead but Marist would go on another run to lead A&T 35-20. At the end of the half Marist led the Aggies with a 16-point lead 45-29.

By the 14:40 mark in the second half the Red Foxes increased their lead to 22 points to 59-37. But the Aggies didn’t falter.

With a little over 12 minutes left in the game the Aggies went on a 13-0 run ending with a three-point play by Sams which bought the Aggies within nine. Marist then went on a 7-0 run with just over eight minutes to play and from then on there was no turning back for the Red Foxes.

A&T outrebounded Marist 50-40 in the loss but also committed the game high 16 turnovers. The Red Foxes shot just over 48 percent in the game while A&T only shot 32 percent.

N.C. A&T Head Coach Patricia Cage- Bibbs was optimistic after the loss and believes in her team.

“You always like to win the first one, but at the same time you know there is a whole lot of season ahead,” Bibbs said.

“We lost our first two last year and went on to have an outstanding year. Right now, we have some people getting used to new roles.”

The reigning MEAC Champions are just one out of 16 division I teams in the country participating in the preseason WNIT.

“An invite to a tournament of this magnitude is truly an honor,” Bibbs said.

“It shows the women’s college basketball world is paying attention to this program, and what it has accomplished over the past few seasons.”

• Lauren Morgan