Kirk, Petty Lead Howard to Win Over NC A&T

Washington, DC--Asia Petty scored 12 of her 18 points in the second half and Courtney Kirk added 11 of her game-high 21 after intermission to help Howard University rebound from a sluggish start and run past North Carolina A&T, 81-59 in a women's Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference game at Burr Gymnasium. It marked the first time this season that the Lady Bison (3-12 overall, 3-3 in the MEAC) have won two straight.

The Lady Aggies (1-13 overall, 1-4 in the MEAC), who have now lost three in a row, jumped out to an early lead and went to the lockeroom with a 35-31 advantage. Junior guard Tawanda Jackson and freshman forward Yanumbe Sherman each scored eight points for North Carolina A&T, which shot 48 percent from the field and out-rebounded the taller Lady Bison, 24-14 in the first 20 minutes.

But Howard flipped the script in the second half by using some strong full-court pressure and the scoring of Petty and Kirk to put together a 27-8 run during the first 10 minutes to take command of the game. Petty, a senior guard and Kirk, a senior forward, combined for 18 points during the run.

"We came out a little flat early and A&T played with a lot more energy," said Petty, who also added five assists and four steals. "It was a different story in the second half. Our defense created a lot of scoring opportunities for us."

The Lady Bison forced 17 turnovers that they converted into 18 points. It did not help that North Carolina A&T had only eight players in uniform and appeared to wilt under the pressure.

"We felt that because of their lack of depth, we could wear them down," said Howard Coach Cathy Parson. "It is really tough when you have to play on the road with a short bench and the opponent applies that kind of pressure."

Kirk added a career-high six assists to go along with four steals and two blocks. Twelve different players scored for Howard.

The Lady Aggies were led by junior guard Camille Akins, who scored a team-high 14 points and Jackson and Sherman, who finished with 10 each.

Howard will be looking to extend its current win streak when it travels to Dover, DE to take on the Lady Hornets of Delaware State on Monday, January 30 at 5:30 p.m.