Conference skid continues for Aggies

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TAHLEQUAH, Okla. (Jan. 29) - A Cameron men's basketball team that was ranked as high as fifth in the South Central region earlier this season is still searching for its first conference victory.

Coach Garrette Mantle's Aggies fell to 0-4 in Lone Star Conference North Division play on Saturday, shooting just 38.7 percent from the floor in a 61-72 loss to Northeastern State.

Cameron (12-7) will look to snap a four-game losing streak on Tuesday, hosting Southwestern Oklahoma in an 8 p.m., tipoff at Aggie Gym.

The Aggies outrebounded Northeastern State, 36-34, on Saturday and trailed by only four points entering the second half. Cameron also owned a 22-9 advantage in bench scoring and held its own inside, trailing NSU just 26-28 on points in the paint.

But Mantle's squad shot just 25 percent (3-12) from three-point range after halftime and couldn't gain ground on the Redmen, who improved to 5-14 overall and 1-3 in league play.

Eric Moore finished with 21 points to lead the Aggies, while the rest of the Aggie starting lineup managed a combined 18 points. Kalaan Brown added 18 points and a game-high nine rebounds off the bench.

Cameron took its only lead of the game just after tipoff. After Northeastern's Josh Talley missed a three-point attempt in the opening seconds, the teams traded turnovers. Marcus Girtmon's steal led to a fastbreak layup for Arthur Trousdell and the Aggies led 2-0.

Northeastern answered with five straight points and never trailed again. The Redmen extended their lead to 10 on two occasions in the first period, before Brown got the Aggies back into it with a personal 8-0 run. The 6-4 forward sandwiched a pair of three-pointers around two free throws in a 1:40 span to make it 30-28 NSU with just over a minute to play in the half.

That was to be the closest the Aggies would get the rest of the way, however. Cameron kept the Northeastern lead in single digits much of the second half and trailed by just four following a layup by Moore that made it 55-51 with 6:26 to play. But the Redmen retaliated with a quick 8-0 run and the Aggies missed three straight shots in the final minute.