SAN MARCOS, Texas – North Carolina A&T lost to No. 3 N.C. State 79-58 in the first round of the WNCAA tournament at Strahan Arena on Sunday afternoon.                                         

The Aggies, who came into the game the No. 16 against the top-seeded Wolfpack, had their minds on an epic upset as they led 37-31 with four minutes remaining in the first half. The Pack put together a 13-0 run to end the first half to take a 44-37 halftime lead.

NCSU's momentum flowed into the second half, where the Pack eventually took a 20-point lead, 64-44, going into the fourth quarter.   

Graduate senior Chanin Scott led the Aggies with a game-high 23 points to go along with seven rebounds, three assists and three steals on 11-for-19 shooting from the field. Senior forward Jayla Jones-Pack added 11 points, three rebounds and three blocks on 5-for-8 shooting. 

The Aggies (14-3) shot 42.9 percent from the floor after shooting 57.1 percent in their impressive first-half showing live on ESPN. NCSU recovered to shoot 53.8 percent, including 61.9 percent shooting in the second half.            

Behind five points from Shayla Nelson, the Aggies took a 15-13 lead with 3:18 remaining in the first quarter. The Pack scored the next six points to take a 19-15 lead. But the Aggies closed the first quarter out on a spurt to take a 21-20 lead going into the second quarter.

NCSU (21-2) increased their lead to 27-22 in the first 90 seconds of the second quarter. The Aggies caught fire over the next six minutes.

Freshman D'Mya Tucker had five points, and Scott and Jones-Pack scored four points apiece in a 13-2 run that gave the Aggies a 35-29 lead with 5:22 remaining in the first half. After a Pack jumper to cut the lead to four points, 35-31, with 4:55 remaining in the first half, Jones-Pack made a layup to increase the lead to 37-31 before the Pack made their run to end the half.                                                                

NCSU scored the first six points of the third quarter to increase to take a 50-37 lead over the first 2 ½ minutes. A Darks layup snapped the Pack's 19-0 run, but the NCSU's hot shooting continued. The Pack outscored the Aggies 18-5 over the next 10 minutes of play to take a 68-44 lead going into the fourth quarter.

NCSU's lead to as many as 26 at 77-51, with 4:13 remaining in the game. The Pack's Jada Boyd led the Aggies with 18 points, and Kai Crutchfield added 14 points. 

The Aggies had one of the youngest teams in the country. They also had one of the most productive senior classes in the country, led by Scott, Jones-Pack and Deja Winters. The Aggies will have some options because of the NCAA's granting of an extra year of eligibility. But the future certainly looks strong with Darks and Tucker, two All-MEAC rookie selections.

The Aggies will head into the Big South next season with its young talent. The Big South was represented by High Point University this season in the tournament.