ELON, N.C. – North Carolina A&T women's basketball 6-foot-4 center Chaniya Clark stepped out and hit a 3-pointer with 6 ½ minutes remaining in the third quarter and sparked a 3-point explosion that turned a close game against the Elon Phoenix at the Schar Center into a blowout 77-46 win for the Aggies in Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) on Sunday afternoon. 

A&T kept its grip on second place by improving to 17-8 overall and 11-3 in CAA play. The Phoenix dropped to 9-19 overall and 5-10 in league play. The Aggies tied a season-high by connecting on 11 3-pointers. It was the most threes made against a Division I opponent after the Aggies hit 11 3-pointers against Guilford College earlier this season. 

Elon and A&T traded 3-pointers to end the first half as senior A&T guard Maleia Bracone netted a three with 1:12 remaining to give A&T a 34-26 lead before Elon's Ruby Willard used an Aggies turnover to score on a 3-pointer as the clock expired to cut A&T's halftime lead to 34-29. 

Freshman wing Paris Locke opened the second-half scoring with a pull-up jumper before Maya Johnson answered for Elon with a jump shot of her own 48 seconds into the second half. Two Bracone free throws led to Clark's big momentum-changing 3-pointer to give the Aggies a 41-31 lead. After an Elon free throw, Locke splashed another A&T three to put the Aggies ahead by 12. Bracone followed with a defensive rebound that she turned into a transition layup, and the Aggies were on their way to a blowout win. 

Locke followed Bracone's score with an and-1 to give the Aggies a 49-32 lead with 39 seconds remaining in the third. And, of course, Talia Davis ended the quarter with a 3-pointer to take a 52-32 lead into the fourth quarter. The Aggies opened the fourth quarter on a 15-1 run, culminating in another Clark 3-pointer to give the Aggies a 68-33 lead with five minutes to play. 

A&T, who took a week off from competition, shot 48.1 percent from the field and were 11-for-23 (.478) from 3-point range. The Aggies' 48.1 percent shooting percentage is their best against a Division I program this season. Their 47.8 percentage from 3-point range was a season-best. Junior guard Jordyn Dorsey led five Aggies in double figures with 18 points, nine rebounds, six assists and one steal. Dorsey went 5-for-8 from the floor and 3-for-5 from three. 

Locke and Bracone had 15 points apiece, with Locke shooting 6-for-11 from the floor and 2-for-3 from three. Bracone was also 2-for-3 from the 3-point arc and 5-for-11 from the floor, adding nine rebounds and four assists to her totals. Clark contributed with two threes and 10 points, and Davis came off the bench to score 10 points, grab five rebounds and hit two 3-pointers. Johnson led Elon with 12 points. 

The Aggies will stay on the road this week with a game at Northeastern on Thursday and a contest at the No. 1 team in the conference, Stony Brook, on Sunday.