CHARLESTON, S.C. – North Carolina A&T women’s basketball defeated its second consecutive team ranked in the Colonial Athletic Association preseason poll top-5 after a 66-58 victory against College of Charleston Sunday in TD Arena on Sunday.
“I’m proud of the young ladies on this team,” said N.C. A&T coach Tarrell Robinson. “We found a way. There were times during the game that we could have given in to adversity, but instead, we responded the right way, and that’s why we got the results we wanted.”
Jazmin Harris recorded her second consecutive double-double and the 10th of her collegiate career with 18 points and 12 rebounds on 8-for-11 shooting. Maleia Bracone added 16 points, six rebounds, five assists, four steals and two blocks.
N.C. A&T improved to 8-5 overall and 2-0 in CAA play. Charleston dropped to 6-6 and 1-1 in league play. The Aggies were met with adversity when Anika McGarity netted a three to give Charleston a 44-39 lead with 5 1/2 minutes remaining in the third quarter.
But the Aggies quickly scored eight straight points, started by a Bracone three and capped by a Jordyn Dorsey jumper to take a 47-44 lead. Adaora Onwumelu hit a jumper in the lane to end the run, but Dorsey answered with a jumper with 61 seconds remaining in the third to send N.C. A&T into the fourth quarter with a 49-46 lead.
Dorsey, who had eight points and six assists, kept the hot shooting going by opening the fourth with a three. However, Charleston responded with a Jazmyn Stone 3-pointer to cut N.C. A&T’s advantage to 52-49 with 8:44 to play.
After Stone’s three, the Aggies began to take command, putting together an 8-1 run capped by a Laila Acox putback to give N.C. A&T a 60-50 lead with 4:46 remaining in the game. Jada Logan’s 3-pointer got the Cougars to within seven before a Nyah Willis 3-point play gave the Aggies a commanding 63-53 lead with 91 seconds remaining.
The Aggies held the Cougars to 28 percent shooting as Charleston went 11-for-43 from 3-point range. Charleston shot 40 percent in the first quarter and led 20-14.
A&T scored the first nine points of the second quarter to take a 23-20 lead with 6:42 remaining, including five points from Bracone. N.C. A&T maintained a lead throughout the second quarter and took its largest lead of the quarter, 28-24, on a Bracone 3-pointer with 2:22 remaining.
A Stone 3-pointer cut the lead to one before Bracone scored on a layup to give the Aggies a 30-27 halftime lead. McGarity led the Cougars with 18 points.
Source : NCatagories
