The Lady Aggies prevailed 69-50 over the Lady Rattlers of Florida A&M to gain their sixth consecutive win on Monday.
In addition to a six game win streak, the Lady Aggies have now one 16 games this season. For the past two years, the Lady Aggies have only been able to muster 15 wins in each season. “We’ve taken it another step and hopefully we can keep it going,” said head coach Tarrell Robinson. Robinson also talked to his girls before the game about being accountable and dealing with holding each other accountable. He believes the ladies are doing that thus far this season. According to sophomore guard Jessica Lyons, the team is only as strong as their weakest link.
The Lady Aggies began the first half with a lot of energy and executed effectively on offense fielding a 6-0 run. Sophomore guard Ariel Bursey, and freshman center Eboni Ross helped get the Lady Aggies to an early lead. The ladies continued to execute offensively throughout the first half. With 10 minutes left in the half, the Lady Aggies were able to obtain a 10 point lead. Junior guard Amber Calvin soon increased that lead to 11 points with a shot beyond the arch.
The Lady Aggies’ defensive effort was also a major factor in their win over the Rattlers. They were able to score nine points with forced turnovers by Florida A&M. A&T’s size definitely contributed as well. Florida A&M’s players were relatively smaller than A&T’s, and the Lady Aggies used that to their advantage to make plays in the paint. The Lady Aggies outscored Florida A&M 16-4 in the paint. “That was one of our keys to the victory,” said Robinson. The Lady Aggies ended the half 38-18.
In the second half, the Lady Aggies continued to stay consistent and executed on both ends of the court. With 14 minutes left in regulation, the Lady Aggies had their highest lead of the game with FAMU trailing by 24 points Florida A&M continued to fight, closing the gap to 19 points.
Ross was the led all scorers with 15 points and six rebounds. Robinson says Ross is stepping up and bringing the dominant inside presence coaches have asked of her. Senior forward JaQuayla Berry also had an outstanding game with 14 points and five steals.
“If [JaQuayla] is into it and she’s working hard, then everybody feeds into that,” said Robinson. Junior guard Tracy King also hit double digits with 10 points, two offensive rebounds, and three defensive rebounds.
The Lady Aggies will go on the road next to face S.C. State, Savannah State, and N.C. Central. According to Robinson, in order for the ladies to keep this streak going, it comes down to mental preparation, perfecting their offensive and defensive schemes, and continuing to grow. “It’s going to be a tough game but we knew we just got to keep the focus from the past few games,” said Lyons.
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- Uniqua Quillins, Register Reporter