EAST GREENSBORO – The Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) women's basketball race for the regular-season title is getting crazy and filled with drama. North Carolina A&T has a significant role in the madness.
The Aggies snapped a two-game losing streak by holding on for a 65-62 win over Monmouth Sunday afternoon at Corbett Sports Center. A&T's win propelled it to 16-9 overall and 10-4 in league play. Monmouth lost its second straight, falling to 12-14 overall and 7-8 in CAA play.
A&T is in a two-way tie for second with Stony Brook, a team they beat earlier this season. Both teams trail the Drexel Dragons (11-4) by a half-game for first place. There are six teams within 1 1/2 games of the Dragons.
"I've learned in this league that anybody can beat you," said Aggies guard Maleia Bracone, who finished with 13 points, five rebounds, six assists, four steals and zero turnovers. "It's a very competitive league, so we need to make sure we come out ready to go."
The Aggies know all too well how balanced the league is. Three of their four losses in the conference are to teams who are .500 or below. Monmouth came in with intentions of joining those group of teams as Elizabeth Marsicano's 3-pointer gave the Hawks a 59-54 with early in the fourth quarter.
Monmouth maintained a fourth-quarter lead until Bracone found a cutting Jazmin Harris for a layup that tied the game at 62 with 1:14 to play. A minute later, Harris hit a tough fadeaway jumper to put the Aggies ahead 64-62. However, an Ariana Vanderhoop turnover gave the Aggies the ball back with 17.2 seconds remaining.
A Brianna Tinsley foul sent Bracone to the free throw line with two shots. Both teams struggled from the free throw line, especially in the fourth quarter, as Monmouth went 1-for-8 (.125) and A&T went 3-for-8 (.375). But Bracone made one of two free throws to give the Aggies a 65-62 lead with 2.4 seconds to play.
The missed free throw did leave Monmouth with an opportunity to tie the game. Jen Louro came off a screen and down the sideline to the corner and took the inbound pass. But her fallaway three from the corner with Levossie Taylor's hand in her face came up short, giving the Aggies the crucial win.
"The basketball gods," said A&T head coach Tarrell Robinson, jokingly explaining why the Aggies won on Sunday. "To perform as we performed the last four games, obviously losing three of them, and even the performance we had today, to find a way to come out and be victorious means we found a way to keep ourselves competing for a championship.
We have to count our blessings, and we've got to respond. Right now, it's not talking about what we didn't do and how we didn't execute. The bottom line is getting the dub, and we got the dub tonight."
Harris led the Aggies with 16 points, and Laila Acox added 15 points and eight rebounds. Jordyn Dorsey contributed 12 points and five assists, and the Aggies were a plus-7 when she was on the floor. The A&T backcourt of Bracone and Dorsey combined for 11 assists and one turnover.
"It's crucial because we haven't had more than 10 assists in our losses, and today we got 15," said Robinson. "I trust Jordyn and Maleia with the ball in their hands. I know they will make great decisions and did that tonight."
Kaci Donovan led the Hawks with 15 points. The crazy world of CAA women's basketball will continue for the Aggies Friday night when they travel to Towson, Md., to face the Towson Tigers at SECU Arena. The arena will house the 2023 CAA tournament, where things may really get whacky.
