The Lady Aggies are on top this season, and with their biggest game coming up, they plan to set this record straight. The Colonial Athletic Association Conference (CAA) ranks The N.C. A&T Lady Aggies No.2 in the women’s basketball standings, with a 17-8 overall record. They are riding on an eight-game winning streak from Jan.7 to March 4. The Aggies will face the only team that ranks ahead of them in the CAA Conference this weekend.
On Sunday, March 3, the Aggies will face off against Stony Brook University at Island FCU Arena. Stony Brook is the No.1 team in the CAA women’s basketball standings with an impressive 21-3 overall record and is currently on a three-game winning streak. In this heavyweight match-up, the Lady Aggies are confident and prepared to bring a victory back home.
Jordyn Dorsey, a junior guard and two-time recipient of the CAA Women’s Basketball Co-Player of The Week, said Thursday that they are unmoved by their competition and will execute this game like any other game in the season.
“We match up with everyone in this conference, statistically and physically,” she said, “We know it’s an important game, and we plan to prepare and execute like any other matchup and hopefully come home with a victory.”
Maleia Bracone, a senior guard, adds to this confident sentiment. She emphasizes that they are both skilled teams but is confident they can take over the top spot in the conference.
“At one point [in] the season, we were tied with Stony Brook. They are a good team, but we are also a good team as well, so this game will definitely be a good one to tune into,” she said. “We still have that chance to tie back or come on top this week.”
Dorsey reflected on their possible challenges in the upcoming game against Stony Brook. She acknowledges some of the challenges of the team dealing with the bench, knowing they don’t have the best depth but make up for it with effort.
“Some challenges would be our bench,” she said, “We don’t have very much depth, but everyone gives max effort when they’re on the floor to combat that.”
In preparation for their game against Stony Brook, she explained they are practicing the same routine regardless of the opposition.
“We are preparing like any other game: work on plays [and] execution, tighten up our defenses, and have a detailed oriented scout,” she shared.
The Lady Aggies are 13-time Conference Champions and are home to record-breaking and highly honored athletes and staff.
Bracone suggests that their commitment to the program and drive to outperform the competition led them to triumph consistently in the conference. “With our victories in the CAA, I feel like what has led to them was our overall buy-in to the program. Our buy-in to working hard in practice, to scouting our opponents, and just trying to do everything to the best of our ability,” she explained. “ Our team hustle is, in my opinion, the best in the conference. No matter who’s on the court or what predicament we are in, we play from tip-off to the buzzer.”
Bracone points out Tarrell Robinson, N.C. A&T’s head coach for women’s basketball, alumnus and former athlete, for their belief in the athletic program.
Head Coach Robinson has been associated with the women’s basketball program for over 15 years. He has led the Aggies to seven Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) titles, produced two MEAC rookies of the year, and aided in the program’s transition from the MEAC to the Big South before they became official CAA members before the 2022-2023 season.
“I believe that the success [of] A&T’s legacy is definitely the culture that Coach Rob has installed in the women’s program,” she said. “It is one of the reasons why I committed when I was in the portal. His culture, expectation, and mindset on each individual is pure.”
Watch the Lady Aggies play Stony Brook on Sunday at 2 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on Fubo and ESPN+.
