FORT MYERS, Fla. – The North Carolina A&T women's basketball team got off to an excellent start to its opening game in the FGCU Holiday Classic against host Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) at Alico Arena.

But the second and third quarters went lopsided in favor of the FGCU Eagles, the 14th ranked team in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major poll, resulting in a 79-48 win for the Eagles over the Aggies.

The loss drops A&T to 2-7 as senior guard Jordyn Dorsey was the only Aggie in double figures with 18 points and five rebounds on 14-for-16 shooting from the free throw line. FGCU, one of the most successful mid-majors over the past 10 years, improved to 8-3 overall behind 22 points from Khamari Mitchell-Steen.

Playing in the hometown of 6-foot-4 center Chaniya Clark – Fort Myers, Fla. – A&T executed its game plan early by getting the ball inside to Clark. She scored the game's first two buckets, followed by a tip-in from graduate Ajia James, who was starting her first game as an Aggie.

Dorsey then found backcourt mate Maleia Bracone for an open 3-pointer to give A&T a 9-0 lead. That lead grew to 11-0 as James swooped down the lane for a layup. FGCU took command of the game from there. A Darrionna Howard layup put the Aggies ahead 18-12 with a minute remaining in the first quarter.

Emani Jefferson answered with a layup to send the Eagles into the fourth quarter trailing 18-14. After Bracone found James for a layup to give the Aggies a 20-17 lead with 8 ½ minutes remaining before halftime, the Eagles put together a 14-2 run to take the lead for the time and for good.

A Dorsey layup did halt the Eagles momentum, bringing the Aggies to within seven at 31-24 with 3:40 remaining in the first half. Two Dorsey free throws cut FGCU's lead to five before the Eagles scored on two more free throws before the half to take a 33-26 halftime lead.

The Eagles outscored A&T 14-2 over the first three minutes of the second half. By the end of the third quarter, the Eagles led 62-33 after shooting 9-for-14 (.643) from the field and 6-for-7 (.857) from 3-point range.

Clark recorded nine points and four rebounds in her return home. She will get another opportunity in front of the hometown folks on Saturday when the Aggies face IU Indy at 1 p.m. from Alico Arena to close the FGCU Holiday Classic.