CHICAGO – North Carolina A&T women's basketball team nearly knocked off nationally ranked No. 16 Miami falling 68-67 during the first day of the DePaul Maggie Dixon Classic.

 The Hurricanes hit the game-winning 3-pointer with 18 seconds left in the game.

“I'm really proud of my young women,” said N.C. A&T coach Tarrell Robinson said.  “I told them leading up to this game that we have an opportunity to upset a top-25 program this week.  We did a great job defensively for the duration of the game, but we are still having too many empty possessions offensively and against a caliber team of Miami, you can't afford that.”

The Aggies (2-3) started the final quarter up by four points, 48-44, and scored the first three points in the fourth quarter to take a seven-point lead, 51-44 with 8:07 remaining in the quarter. Miami connected on a 3-pointer cut the lead to four points, 51-47, with 7:34 left.

But a Mikaya Wilson layup, a three from Deja Winters and a layup from Cinia McCray ballooned the Aggies lead to 11 at 58-47 with 5;07 to play.

The Aggies led by 11 as late as the 4:40 mark of the fourth quarter. They led by nine, 63-54, with 3:38 to play. But the Hurricanes went on a 5-0 run to cut the Aggies lead to four at 63-59. The lead remained at four with 2:11 remaining when Winters hit two free throws to push the lead to 67-61 with 1:25 remaining in the game.

But Miami scored the final seven points to win the game capped by Mykea Gray's 3-pointer with 18 seconds left.

Winters had her layup blocked with three seconds remaining on the clock. The Aggies had one more chance with a second left but turned the ball over.

Winters, who returned to the lineup after missing the ETSU game, led all scorers with 21 points, shooting 4-for-10 from the field and added four rebounds. Wilson added 11 points and three assists on 5-for-8 shooting.

N.C. A&T did not play like a team impressed by the Hurricanes ranking. They held an 18-10 lead after the first quarter after three points from Winters and two points each from Foy, Le'on Hill and Bostick.

The Hurricanes scored the first nine points of the second quarter to take a one-point lead at 19-18. Miami grew its lead to 25-21 with 1:08 remaining in the first half 25-21, but N.C. A&T scored the final four points after two made free throws from Winters and a made jumper by Wilson to tie the game at 25 at the half.

Miami took a 39-36 lead midway through the third quarter, but the Aggies started to gain control of the game with a 12-3 run capped off by a McCray 3-point play that gave N.C. A&T a 48-42 with 11 seconds remaining in the third quarter. Jones-Pack had five points during the run. A made Miami free throw cut the lead to four points, 48-44, after the third quarter.

Three Hurricanes recorded double figures with Mykea Gray with 19 points, Beatrice Mompremier with 18 points and Kelsey Marshall with 10 points.

The Aggies face Arkansas State in the third-place game Saturday at 2 p.m. EST.