The men’s basketball team finally got the monkey off their back on Monday.

Senior Aggie forward Jason Wills hit two clutch free throws in the last minute of the game to give A&T(1-13, 1-4 MEAC) a 69-67 victory over Bethune-Cookman(7-10, 3-3) and their first win this season.

“I just did what it takes to win the game,” said Wills, who led the team with 20 points. “If it takes making two free throws at the end of the game. That’s what I am going to do.”

Prior to the game, which was televised on ESPN2, the court was dedicated in front of 3269 fans in honor of former coaches Cal Irvin and Don Corbett. The official name of the court is now Cal Irvin-Don Corbett Court .

“It’s great to be on national TV,” A&T head coach Jerry Eaves said. “It was great for the kids because the nation got to see them play hard.”

The Aggies got off to a quick lead in the first half. Ten minutes into the game, A&T led by seven and kept that until the Wildcats Sam Barber hit a jump shot to tie the game at 20 with 6:52 left in the first half.

Senior forward Michael Hayes, who had 16 points, did not start but made his name known when he hit four 3-pointers in the first half.

At the end of the first half, the Wildcats were leading 37-33. It took the Aggies only three minutes to regain the lead into the second half.

Greg Roberts, a 6-foot-6 junior forward, hit a shot to bring the score at 40-37. The lead would switch hands 11 more times until the Aggies took the lead for good.

With less than a minute left in the game Bethune-Cookman’s Antonio Webb stepped out of bounds with 40.7 seconds left to give the Aggies possession. The score was tied at 67 and Wills free throws turned out to be the deciding factor in the Aggies win.

“We had missed five in a row down the stretch and then (Wills) went three-for-four and it broke the string for us,” Eaves said. “He played better as time goes on, he’s got to continue to work defensively.”

A&T’s free throw percentage coming into this game was 38.8 percent. In this game, the Aggies had 65.4 percent.

Webb led the Wildcats with 18 points. In last year’s match-ups against Bethune-Cookman, Webb averaged 27.3 points a game.

Also leading the effort for Bethune-Cookman was senior Cleveland Williams. Williams had 12 points and seven rebounds.

Senior Aggie guard Leslie Powell had 10 points. Other Aggies Trahern Chaplin and Greg Roberts both had 9 points.

This was the first A&T basketball game to be aired on national television in five years.

“We have been so close to winning so many games, I think it’s real important our guys get the opportunity to win on national television,” said Athletics Director Dee Todd. “We had a great crowd, great fan support.”

In attendance was legendary Aggie alumnus Al Attles, who played for Irvin in 1960. Attles was a member of the San Fransico Warriors-a former NBA team.

During this time he got the nickname “The Destroyer.”

“It always is great to come back,” Attles said. “It’s great to see them get a win. Coach Irvin was a great influence in my life.”

Last season, Eaves broke a 32-game losing streak. This season he broke a 15-game losing streak.

“We won by two today. Every game is going to go down to the wire,” Eaves said. “We are going to compete, that’s the only one trademark of my team.”

A&T has been without Demetrius Guions, Austin Ewing and Derek Crumpton. Crumpton and Guions are suspended temporarily for academic reasons.

“Florida A&M’s coach told me after the game, he says you played with all walk-ons and I don’t want to ever see you play,” Eaves said. “Your team played so hard.”

The Aggies next opponent will be Coppin State on Saturday. Coppin State is 3-1 in MEAC and is led by Tywain McKee. McKee is averaging 14.2 points a game. This will be the third game of the Aggies four-game home stand.

• Darrick Ignasiak