ii \<r (inin
Celebrate CONTINi
/
by nipping Bethune-Cookman 71-65 in J
overtime. i
The total attendance for the first two <
nights of the event was less than 4,200 |
and enough to make one wonder what I
the gate might have been had the ]
hometown Aggies stumbled against
Delaware State. '
That prospect looked possible in the ?
first half of that contest as A&T trailed
the Hornets, under first-year Coach J
Joe Dean Davidson, on two occasions 1
and never built more than a five-point i
lead on its way to a 30-29 lead. 1
The Hornets tied the score for the 1
final time less than a minute into the
second half on a three-point play by 1
Dominic Snowden but were never able 1
to catch the Aggies again after A&T |
scored the game's next eight points. s
However, the Delaware effort, led <
by freshman all-MEAC pick Bernard 1
Campbell's 18 points, gave notice that l
the Hornets will be a team to b< i
i. i - . i -
icLKuneu wnn in years to come. i
But in this tourney, as had been the
case in eight of the preceding 12 events, t
the title belonged to the Aggies.
For Corbett, it was a time to reflect i
on a surprisingly, good season and I
think about his fourth straight post- I
season bid. <
The Aggies fell to Duke in the first I
round of the NIT in 1981, the last time
they failed to win the MEAC tourna- 1
ment. And their loss to the Bison in the C
finals that year was the only time they e
made it to the title game and failed to %
claim the crown. j \
"With this win, we have accomplish- g
aA 1- "
^ I
ourselves before the season began/' J
Corbett said. "We have won 20 games t|
A&Ts James Horace breaks up an all
Kevin Scott (photo by Brian Branch-P
Page 12-March. 1984 tSSSmSSSSSSSSSSSSSm
E SMCTf nvi
'JED
and both the regular season and tou
nament titles. Now we can concentra
Dh doing our best in the NCA
playoffs to erase the stigma that is a
tached to black schools in Division
post-season competition.
illA '
n is always said that we can't wi
the big one. But this year we are moi
determined than ever.
44We have played a tough roa
schedule against top competition an
we have that experience to draw c
now," said Corbett, who had failed I
win in NCAA tournament play in tw
previous tries.
Binion shared that feeling. 44Tonigl
nroved that we are an experience
learn," he said. 441 didn't have a goo
^ame but the other guys playe
superbly and took up the slack. 1 don
expect to have this type of game in tf
NCAA tournament but it takes a lot c
pressure off knowing that your tean
nates can take charge whe
lecessary."
44In the past we have not playe
ogether when we got to the NCA/
And when our shots have not been fal
ng, we haven't taken our time an
kept our cool. But after playing tean
like N.C. State, we feel we are more a<
:ustomed to tackling those calib<
:eams now."
Jhe Aggies knew they would ent<
:he playoffs as decided underdogs, bi
"orbett and his players were determir
d to make a better showing this tim
iround. 441 can't guarantee that we wi
vin, but I can guarantee that we wil
;ive it our best shot," Corbett said
4 Now, if Boyd could only hav
mother birthday party on the night o
he NCAA finals...."
m. 1 i
py-oop pass intended for Howard1
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Howard's Robert McVlwaine sees A AT* 1
may not realize, however. Is that the Ag
too, from the left (photo by James Pari
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9 MVP Boyd: To the birthday boy go the i
Bh >
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Daryl Battle to his right. What he
jies' Jimmy Brown is closing in.
er).
(polls (photo by James Parker).