GREENSBORO – With Guilford College (GC) sandwiched between a game against the SEC's Georgia Bulldogs and the ACC's Wake Forest Demon Deacons, the North Carolina A&T women's basketball team left little doubt it was over its tough loss to Georgia and prepared for its tough challenge against Wake.
The Aggies rolled to a 114-41 win over the Quakers Friday night in their home opener at Corbett Sports Center. Seven Aggies scored in double figures, led by senior D'Mya Tucker, who finished with a career-high 23 points with eight rebounds, three assists, and two steals on 8-for-17 shooting. Junior Jordyn Dorsey added 19 points and a career-high nine assists, and sophomore Chaniya Clark ended the night with a career-high 17 points. She added nine rebounds on 7-for-10 shooting.
A&T's 73-point margin of victory tied the program record as the Aggies beat St. Andrews by 73 on Nov. 11, 2022, and Bennett College by 73 on Nov. 24, 1990. The Aggies scored more than 100 points for the fifth time in the 12-season Tarrell Robinson head coaching era, and the 114 points are the second most in program history behind the 121 points the Aggies scored against Johnson & Wales on Nov. 9, 2019.
The Aggies improved to 1-1 on the season. Meanwhile, the Quakers were playing in their season opener. GC did take the lead on Friday as Jermia Walker scored on a layup to give the Quakers a 4-2 lead 80 seconds into the game. A&T responded with a 10-0 run highlighted by 3-pointers from Nyah Willis and Keona Curtis to give the Aggies a 12-4 lead with five minutes remaining in the first quarter.
A&T's lead grew to 10 by the end of the first quarter as Dorsey drove to the basket to give the Aggies a 22-12 lead going into the second quarter. An Anna Giannopoulou jumper with 7:55 remaining cut the Aggies lead to 29-16. The Quakers went the next seven minutes without scoring.
The Aggies turned the Quakers' dry spell into a 41-16 lead. Curtis netted a three at the end of the first half to give the Aggies a 45-19 halftime lead. A&T scored a whopping 69 second-half points on 64 percent shooting from the field and 50 percent shooting (8-for-16) from 3-point range to put the Quakers away.
Curtis swished all three of her 3-point attempts to finish with a career-high 13 points. It marked the first time in her career she scored in double figures. Talia Davis went 5-for-6 from the floor to finish with 12 points and five rebounds. Malei Bracone and Willis finished with 10 points apiece, with Willis adding six assists.
The Aggies face Wake Forest at 6 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 15, in Winston-Salem, N.C.
