A&T STATISTICAL LEADERS: G Chanin Scott (15 pts., 5 assists, 3 rebs.), Faith Blackstone (14 pts.), Shareka McNeill (14 pts., 5-for-9 FGs), Jazmin Harris (12 pts., 5 rebs., 6-for-12 FGs), Jordyn Dorsey (10 pts., 3 assists, 4 rebs., 4-for-5 FGs), Kiana Adderton (10 pts., 7 rebs., 3 assists, 4-for-8 FGs).
CHARLESTON SOUTHERN STATISTICAL LEADERS: Alyssia Faye (12 pts., 3 rebs., 6-for-13 FGs), Skylar Baltezegar (11 pts., 6 rebs., 3 assists, 4-for-9 FGs), Janaia Fargo (10 pts., 3-for-7 3-point FGs).
WHY A&T GOT THE W: Scorching. The Aggies outscored Charleston Southern 56-21 in the second half behind 55.6 percent shooting from the field. The Aggies also connected on 7 of 13 3-pointers in the second half.
WHY CHARLESTON SOUTHERN DID NOT GET THE W: Turnovers. Charleston Southern committed 15 turnovers in the second half compared to two second-half turnovers by the Aggies. A&T outscored CSU 20-0 in points off turnovers in the second half.
CRUCIAL: With the Aggies holding a 39-35 lead with 6:55 remaining in the third quarter, the Bucs went scoreless the rest of the quarter, allowing the Aggies to score 21 unanswered points.
EAST GREENSBORO – Six North Carolina A&T Aggies scored in double figures as the Aggies secured their first-ever Big South Conference win in women's basketball with an 88-50 win over the Charleston Southern Buccaneers Wednesday night at Corbett Sports Center.
A&T ended its four-game losing streak by igniting their offense with a tenacious defense to open the second half. The Aggies led 32-29 at the half, and Skylar Baltezegar scored on a layup 32 seconds into the second half for the Bucs.
The Aggies intensity multiplied from there. A 7-0 run that included a Faith Blackstone 3-pointer gave the Aggies a 39-31 lead. The Bucs scored the next two baskets and would not be heard from again in the third quarter. The Aggies forced the Bucs into turnovers and difficult 3-point shots.
The Aggies scored the final 21 points of the quarter on 7-for-7 shooting from the free throw line and 6-for-13 shooting from the field. A&T, who lost a fourth-quarter lead at USC Upstate on Saturday, had no such problem on Wednesday. The Aggies led by as many as 40 in the fourth quarter.
CSU started well. The Bucs led the Aggies 7-2 over the game's first three minutes. The Bucs held the lead until a Sean Kelly Darks 3-pointer tied the game at 13 with 59 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
Forty-two seconds later, Chanin Scott took a pass from Darks and scored on a short jump shot to give the Aggies their first lead at 15-13. The game was tied at 15 at the end of the first quarter thanks to a Sharita Godfrey jump shot.
The two teams went through six lead changes and five ties in the second quarter before Kiana Adderton hit a 3-pointer off a pass from Jasmen Walton to give the Aggies a 30-28 lead. After a CSU free throw, Jasmen Walton benefited from a Scott steal and assists as Walton broke free for a fast-break layup to end the half.
The Aggies compiled a whopping 25 assists and turned the ball over only 11 times on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Bucs committed 29 turnovers. The Bucs shot 36 percent from the floor and made only two free throws.
QUOTABLE: "We've been working hard for this moment, this opportunity. I talked to my young ladies about responding. We had a major letdown last week. We got all of our bodies back, and finally, we were in a great situation at USC Upstate, and we let that slip by us. Tell of two games. We picked it up in the second half of this game versus the last game. We are excited about that."
Head Coach Tarrell Robinson on closing out the Bucs
GAME NOTES
- Kiana Adderton has scored in double-figures for the fourth consecutive game.
- The 88 points are the most by the Aggies this season (86 vs. South Carolina State).
- A&T shot a season-high 49.3 percent from the field (48.1 percent at USC Upstate).
- N.C. A&T outscored Charleston Southern 30-7 in points off turnovers, 36-18 in the paint, 14-6 in second-chance points, and 25-0 in fast breaks.
- Six Aggies scored in double figures for the first time this season.
