SPARTANBURG, S.C. – North Carolina A&T women's basketball got some key players back from COVID as they returned to action after a two-week layoff. It appeared the Aggies were also ready to return to their winning ways.
But a fourth-quarter surge by USC Upstate ended the Aggies hope for a win as the Spartans defeated the Aggies, 67-64, at G.B. Hodge Center, Saturday afternoon in Big South Conference play.
The Aggies (3-10, 0-3 Big South) held a 46-40 lead going into the final quarter. They maintained for the first 5 ½ minutes of the fourth quarter. Upstate's Dakota McCaughan hit a free throw to tie the game at 56.
Freshman guard Jordyn Dorsey (Augusta, Ga.) quickly responded with a 3-pointer off a pass from sophomore guard Faith Blackstone (Harrisburg, Pa.). But an 8-0 Spartans run erased the Aggies lead for good as they fell behind 65-59 with 31 seconds remaining.
But the Aggies kept fighting. Guard Sean Kelly Darks (Cincinnati, Ohio) scored on a layup with 26 seconds and drew a foul on the play to cut Upstate's lead to 65-61. Darks missed the free throw, but forward Chanin Scott (Charlotte, N.C.) grabbed the rebound. Guard Shareka McNeill (Charlotte, N.C.) missed her 3-point attempt, but center Jazmin Harris (McLeansville, N.C.) rebounded the miss, and Scott nailed the 3-pointer to cut the lead to 65-64 with 10 seconds to play.
The Aggies were forced to foul, sending Chellia Watson to the free throw line. Watson hit both free throws, but the Aggies still had a chance to tie with six seconds remaining. But McNeill's three fell short, giving Upstate (10-4, 2-1 Big South) the win.
"We let the game slip away at the end," A&T coach Tarrell Robinson said. "My hat goes off to Upstate's players for fighting and clawing their way back from being down at the half."
In her first Big South game, Scott led the team with 13 points and shot 4-for-6 from the field with five rebounds and two assists. Harris added 11 points, shooting 5-for-9 shooting from the floor, and added a team-high six rebounds.
Adderton scored in double figures for the third consecutive game with 10 points on 4-for-7 shooting. Dorsey added nine points and three assists.
Upstate grabbed an early six-point lead, 12-6, before the Aggies scored the next four points to cut the lead to two with a minute remaining in the first quarter. Two Rachael Rose free throws gave Upstate a 14-10 lead going into the second quarter.
The Spartans held a 22-21 lead in the second quarter before senior guard Jasmen Walton (Baltimore, Md.) hit a 3-pointer to give the Aggies a 24-22 lead. Walton's three sparked a 9-3 run to end the half as the Aggies went to the locker room leading 30-25.
A&T led by as many as nine in the third quarter before Upstate made its fourth-quarter run.
Watson led the Spartans with a game-high 24 points. Jada Logan added a double-double with 12 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.
