North Carolina A&T completed its non-conference schedule with a 86-79 win over North Carolina Central Wednesday afternoon at McDougald-McLendon Arena.
“It was a huge win,” A&T coach Tarrell Robinson said. “It was a similar environment or, if not more of an environment in terms of being a rival. We just wanted to bounce back. We didn’t perform at our best. We didn’t have our best focus and effort in Greenville on Monday.”
The win holds significance because it comes after the Aggies 30-point defeat at East Carolina on Monday. It sends the Aggies into Colonial Athletic Association play against Elon at home on Dec. 30 on a high note after snapping a two-game losing streak. A&T also won its sixth straight over NCCU.
The Eagles (5-8) would not let their longtime rival escape with a win easily, however. They erased a 10-point third-quarter deficit with a 12-3 that got them within one, 59-58, with 1:12 to play in the third quarter.
A&T had a response. A&T’s 11-2 run gave the Aggies a 70-60 lead as junior guard Maleia Bracone capped the run with a 3-pointer with 8:04 remaining in the game.
The Aggies grew their lead to as many as 13, 78-65, on two Bracone free throws with 5:24 to play before the Eagles made one last push. A Kimeira Burks three started an 8-0 run to cut the Aggies lead to five with 2:05 remaining on the clock.
But a Bracone free throw followed by a Bracone three gave the Aggies an 82-73 lead with 95 seconds to play, all but ending any hopes of an NCCU rally.
Bracone finished with 23 points on 7-for-10 shooting from the field and 3-for-6 shooting from three to record her third 20-plus point performance of the season. She also added four assists and five steals.
Sophomore Jordyn Dorsey added 19 points, seven rebounds, and six assists on 8-for-16 shooting. Graduate Jazmin Harris recorded her third double-double this season with 16 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks on 8-for-14 shooting.
The Aggies’ 86 points are the most they have scored against a Division I opponent this season. The Aggies accomplished the feat by shooting 56.1 percent from the floor and scoring a season-high 62 points in the paint.
A&T’s hot shooting pushed its lead to 40-25 with 5:09 remaining in the first half. But the Eagles scored nine straight points to cut A&T’s lead to six before junior Levossie Taylor hit a jump shot to give the Aggies a 42-34 with 1:51 remaining in the first half.
NCCU’s Jerni Kiaku’s fastbreak layup seconds later ended the first half, with A&T leading 42-36.
Junior D’Mya Tucker added 12 points, four rebounds and three assists on 6-for-13 shooting. Burks led the Eagles with 21 points.
Courtesy: North Carolina A&T Athletics
