ELON, N.C. – So many things went well for North Carolina A&T's women's basketball team Sunday afternoon until the final stretch.
That turned costly for the Aggies, who could not hold on to a lead they possessed for most of the game, falling 70-69 to Elon at Schar Center.
"Hopefully, this can be a lesson," A&T coach Tarrell Robinson said. "We're still in first place. We just have to win out and maintain that position now."
Paris Locke and Jordyn Dorsey both scored 14 points and Chaniya Clark racked up 13 points and 10 rebounds for A&T. Maleia Bracone added nine points, while Ajia James posted eight points against her former team.
But there was still good news for the Aggies (17-10, 13-3 Coastal Athletic Association). Because second-place Drexel lost 56-52 at home to Campbell, A&T remains in sole possession of first place in the CAA.
With two games remaining, A&T is one game ahead of Drexel and College of Charleston.
The Aggies try to recover from the end of their four-game winning streak in Thursday night's home game against William & Mary. The regular season wraps up at 2:00 p.m. Saturday vs. UNC Wilmington at Corbett Sports Center.
On Sunday, A&T had what was once a 12-point lead sliced to 69-68 with 41.6 seconds to play.
Bracone missed on a 3-point attempt, with Elon collecting the rebound at the 14-second mark. After an Aggies foul, Elon had an inbounds opportunity with 5.8 seconds to play. A foul at the 1.7-second mark on a 3-point shot gave the Phoenix a chance to take the lead.
Maraja Pass made the first two attempts before an Elon lane violation. Then, at the other end, A&T could only get off James' long launch, which was off the mark at the buzzer.
"It was a possession or two," Robinson said. "That's what I talked to them about."
The Aggies scored only two points in the last four minutes of regulation and no field goals in the final five.
"I just think in games like this, this time of the year, it's about little things," Robinson said. "Execution, understanding assignments. All that stuff. They did, and we didn't."
Before the offensive snags, A&T had a knack for sliding out to multi-possession advantages only to have the Phoenix close the gaps.
For instance, Elon rallied within 45-43 before Locke's three-point play. Bracone made the final basket of the third quarter, a 3-pointer for a 53-45 edge.
Elon (14-13, 8-8), playing in its home finale, had lost four in a row. Raven Preston, who's from Greensboro, led the Phoenix in scoring with a career-high 31 points.
"She's a local kid," Robinson said. "I'm happy for her."
Robinson was particularly disturbed by A&T's 19 turnovers. Those lead to Elon's 24-14 advantage in points off turnovers.
Those glitches negated the good work of the Aggies' 56.5-percent shooting from the field.
"You look at those shooting percentages, and how did we lose?" Robinson said. "It was moreso about what (Elon) did. We're still working on some areas."
Clark's strong effort came while logging nearly 37 minutes. She collected more than one-third of A&T's rebounds and also led the team with five assists, but her coach would have liked to have seen more help for her.
"Chaniya Clark had a double-double," Robinson said. "She had to work too hard for that."
James hit a 3-pointer about 4½ minutes into the game for her first points of the day in her former home venue. At that point, it looked smooth for A&T.
The Aggies connected on six of their first 10 shots from the floor. A series of fastbreak baskets led to a 21-11 lead, resulting in an Elon timeout and a rousing ovation from Aggies fans who made the short trip.
The Phoenix closed within 26-24 before the Aggies went to the break with a 35-26 edge.
