EAST GREENSBORO – North Carolina A&T remained in the hunt for at least a share of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) regular-season women's basketball crown on Sunday with a solid fourth-quarter showing against UNC Wilmington that led to a 72-44 win at A&T's 2022-23 home finale at Corbett Sports Center.
In their inaugural season in the CAA, the Aggies improved to 17-10 overall and 11-5 in conference play. UNCW dropped to 5-22 overall and 2-14 in league play. The Aggies are in a four-way tie for second place with Stony Brook, Northeastern and Towson, 1 ½ games behind first-place Drexel, who stands at 13-4.
Drexel is guaranteed at least a share of the regular-season crown, having only one remaining game, a home contest against A&T in Philadelphia on March 4. The Aggies are 2-1 against the teams in the four-way tie for second, the only loss coming against Towson. The women's tournament is March 8-12 at SECU Arena in Towson, Md. The Aggies are hoping for the double bye, which means they would only need three games to win the conference tournament.
If the conference tournament were inside Corbett, it would be an offensive showcase for A&T sophomore guard Jordyn Dorsey. Dorsey finished with 21 points and six assists. She was 6-for-13 from the field, 2-for-2 from three, and 7-for-7 from the line. In 13 home games this season, Dorsey is averaging 14.4 points, 3.5 assists and 1.8 steals while shooting 52.7 percent from the floor and 17-for-33 (.515) from 3-point range.
A&T entered the fourth quarter leading 50-42 and dominated from there, limiting the Seahawks to one field and two points in the fourth quarter. Dorsey opened the fourth period with a three, sparking a 14-0 A&T run that gave the Aggies a 64-42 to put the game away with 5:35 remaining.
Jazmin Harris, playing in her final game at Corbett after two seasons with A&T, capped the run with her signature 15-foot jump shot off a pass from junior guard Maleia Bracone. Harris finished with 19 points and six rebounds on 9-for-17 shooting. D'Mya Tucker was the only other Aggie in double figures with 11 points.
A&T opened the game on a 7-0 run capped by a Bracone 3-pointer, which led to an early timeout by the Seahawks. The Seahawks gathered themselves and took a 10-9 lead with 5:43 remaining in the first quarter. UNCW carried an 18-15 lead into the second quarter. The two teams went through five lead changes to open the second quarter; the final one gave A&T a 23-22 lead as Bracone found Dorsey going to the basket for a layup with 4:53 remaining in the first half.
The Aggies never trailed after that point and, with three minutes to play in the half, embarked on a 5-0 run to take a 33-26 lead. Two Britany Range free throws ended the run before a Levossie Taylor layup gave the Aggies a 35-28 halftime lead. A&T built its lead to as many as 11 three times in the third quarter, the final time on two Dorsey free throws to give A&T a 50-39 lead. But a free throw from Asia Henderson and a jump shot from Evan Miller sent UNCW into the fourth quarter trailing 50-42.
Range led the Seahawks with 13 points. Before playing at Drexel on Saturday, the Aggies will get a rematch with the Delaware Blue Hens on March 2 at 11 a.m. in Newark, Del. Delaware defeated A&T in Corbett 69-52 on Jan. 15.
