BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Graduate Chanin Scott hit two free throws with four seconds remaining to help the North Carolina A&T women's basketball team rally from a 16-point deficit to beat the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs, 90-88, at Paul Porter Arena.
The Aggies won their fifth straight and improved to 8-10 overall and 5-3 in the Big South Conference. GWU is 7-13 overall and 5-4 in conference play.
The Aggies trailed 79-63 with 7:08 remaining in the game. However, A&T proceeded to outscore the Bulldogs 18-4 over the next four minutes, 20 seconds, to cut GWU's lead to 83-81 with 2:48 to play.
Guards Shareka McNeill (Charlotte, N.C.) and Sean Kelly Darks (Cincinnati, Ohio) and center Jazmin Harris (McLeansville, N.C.) scored all the points during the run. McNeill scored seven, Darks had six and Harris had five during the spurt.
A Lauren Bevis 3-pointer at the 2:24 mark halted the Aggies momentum, giving GWU an 86-81 lead. But with the shot clock expiring, Darks hit a stepback jumper to keep the Aggies rolling.
Harris then blocked Jhessyka Williams' jump shot, returning possession to the Aggies. Darks later drove the ball into the lane and found an open McNeill for a 3-pointer that tied the game at 86 with 53 seconds to play.
Lyrissa Deans' missed jump shot from the free throw line led to an Alasia Smith offensive rebound. Scott fouled Smith on the putback to put GWU on the line. Smith made both free throws for an 88-86 lead with 30 seconds to play.
After an Aggie timeout to move the ball across half court, Scott drove into the lane and made a challenging layup with 21 seconds remaining.
GWU used its timeout to move the ball to midcourt, but a bad pass from Williams led to a McNeill steal with 11 seconds on the clock.
Nine seconds later, Smith fouled Scott to put her on the line for the game-winning free throws with 2.1 seconds remaining.
Harris blocked the Bulldogs' final shot attempt, keeping the Aggies on its win streak as they prepare to face the top team in the conference in Campbell on the road Monday.
"I predicted this to be an exciting matchup, and it was that and more," A&T coach Tarrell Robinson said. "I'm so proud of the toughness and grit my ladies showed being down for the majority of the game and just finding a way. Scoring 90 points on the road is an exceptional feat in itself."
Harris recorded her second double-double as an Aggie with 21 points and 12 rebounds on 9-for-18 shooting. She also had three blocks. Scott recorded her fifth double-double this season with 15 points and 10 rebounds on Saturday.
McNeill added 18 points on 4-for-10 shooting from 3-point range. Darks scored 14 points and dished five assists on 6-for-8 shooting. Freshman Jordyn Dorsey tied a season-high with 10 points.
A&T, who had not shot better than 50 percent in its first 16 games, has shot better than 50 percent in its last two games. In addition, the Aggies have scored 80-plus points in four of their previous five games.
A&T and GWU were tied at 22 at the end of the first quarter. The second quarter saw the Bulldogs build an 11-point lead before a 10-2 run capped by a Darks layup cut GWU's lead to 43-40 at the half.
GWU had a 29-point third quarter to take a 72-59 lead into the fourth quarter.
Williams and Smith led Gardner-Webb with 20 points each.
