GREENSBORO, N.C. (Interstat) — Lewis Walker scored 33 points and North Carolina A&T used a dominant second half to overcome a slow start and defeat Towson 80-73 in a Colonial Athletic Association men’s basketball game Saturday at Corbett Sports Center.

Walker, a 6-foot-6 guard from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, spearheaded an Aggies offense that exploded for 45 points after halftime, erasing a narrow one-point deficit at intermission. His performance, which included seven rebounds and four assists, came on the heels of a 33-point outing in a loss to William & Mary just nine days prior.

The game’s pivotal shift occurred early in the second half. After a tightly contested opening period that saw Towson lead 36-35, North Carolina A&T unleashed a 13-4 run over the first five minutes. The surge was fueled by transition play, as the Aggies finished with 25 fastbreak points compared to Towson’s 14. Walker capped the run with a 3-pointer assisted by Trent Middleton, giving the Aggies a 48-40 lead they would not relinquish.

Towson, which entered the game as a seven-point favorite according to sportsbooks, struggled to find consistent offense against an Aggies defense that tightened after the break. The Tigers shot just 5 of 22 from 3-point range for the game and were outscored 23-13 at the free-throw line in the second half alone. North Carolina A&T’s efficiency was stark, scoring 80 points on just 70 possessions for an offensive rating of 114.8, while Towson managed 73 points on 73 trips.

Zamoku Weluche-Ume provided a massive interior presence for the Aggies, hauling in 15 rebounds to go with 11 points. His work on the glass helped limit Towson’s second-chance opportunities despite the Aggies being out-rebounded offensively 8-6. Dwayne Pierce added 12 points and Trent Middleton had 11 for North Carolina A&T, which improved to 9-10 overall.

Towson was led by Tyler Tejada’s 22 points and seven rebounds. Jack Doumbia added 19 points and four assists off the bench, and Tyler Coleman finished with 11 points. The Tigers’ offense, which had been rolling with three straight wins, was held in check, shooting 42.9% from the field and committing 11 turnovers that led to nine Aggies points.

The loss snapped Towson’s three-game winning streak and dropped its record to 12-10. The Tigers had won those previous three contests by an average of 14 points, but could not contain Walker and the Aggies’ second-half surge. The victory was a significant one for North Carolina A&T, which had lost two of its last three and defied pregame projections that gave Towson an 87.6% probability of winning.

The game’s total points, 153, sailed over the sportsbook over/under line of 138.5, largely due to the Aggies’ high-scoring second-half performance.

North Carolina A&T looks to build on the win when it travels to face Monmouth on Thursday. Towson returns home to host UNC Wilmington on the same afternoon, seeking to rebound from the conference road loss.