When the story of North Carolina A&T ladies’s basketball is accomplished, historical past will present the hero of Sunday night time’s Girls’s Nationwide Invitational Event was senior guard Maleia Bracone after she delivered a game-winning 3-pointer to beat Outdated Dominion College at Corbett Sports activities Middle.
However for those who ask Bracone, she would possibly level to a unique hero.
“In my head, I used to be like don’t miss, don’t miss, don’t miss,” mentioned Bracone about her thought course of as she launched the game-winner. “This season actually wasn’t the most effective season for me shooting-wise. However simply understanding D’Mya (Tucker) trusted me meant a lot. I’ve the mindset of shooters shoot, it’s going to fall, it’s going to fall. Simply hold engaged on it. Fortunately, it went in and ended up profitable the sport.”
Bracone shot 33 p.c from 3-point vary in her debut season as an Aggie in 2022-23. However she is capturing 25.3 p.c this season, and earlier than she hit one of many largest photographs in program historical past, she was 0-for-4 from three on Sunday. However as time expired within the fourth quarter, junior ahead Talia Davis floated a go to Tucker on the elbow close to A&T’s bench. Tucker drew a double crew. From Tucker’s postgame feedback, she had misplaced zero religion in Bracone’s means to shoot the rock.
That’s how we do it in AGGIE LAND! Maleia Bracone with the game-winning shot🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/GVt2zEXzFD
— N.C. A&T Athletics (@NCATAGGIES) March 25, 2024
“I do know our reads,” mentioned Tucker. “I knew if the assistance didn’t step as much as me, I both had a shot on the elbow or a drive. But when (Bracone’s) man helped, her three was going to be open, and fortuitously, they left our shooter open, so I simply handed her the ball as a result of I knew she was open.”
Bracone completed with 17 factors and a career-high seven steals on 6-for-12 capturing from contained in the 3-point arc in a recreation the place offense didn’t come simple. The Aggies held the Monarchs to below 20 factors within the first half as they carried a 23-18 lead into the half. A&T led 36-30 on a brief jumper within the paint by sophomore middle Chaniya Clark.
Nevertheless, Brenda Fontana put again her miss to ship the Monarchs into the fourth quarter trailing by 4 factors. ODU then scored the primary 5 factors of the fourth quarter to take a 37-36 lead. It marked ODU’s first lead because the 5:10 mark of the second quarter. A&T recaptured the lead on two Tucker free throws earlier than the Monarchs scored the subsequent 4 factors to take a 41-38 lead with 7:11 to play.
Each groups went the subsequent two minutes with out scoring earlier than Davis took a go from Jordyn Davis and netted a 3-pointer to tie the sport at 41-41. Simone Cunningham hit a leap shot within the paint to provide ODU the lead again earlier than Bracone took over the sport. She drove to the basket and scored on a tricky layup to tie the sport at 43-43 with 3:50 to play.
She then intercepted a Halima Salat go and raced to the opposite finish to attain to provide A&T the lead again. Seconds later, Kaye Clark obtained contained in the lane and scored for ODU to tie the sport at 45-45 with three minutes remaining. The 2 groups went 2 ½ minutes with out scoring, however with 19.9 seconds to play, Tucker took a cost from Mimi McCollister to return possession to the Aggies to arrange Bracone’s game-winner.
“I can inform they wish to win,” mentioned A&T head coach Tarrell Robinson. “This child right here (Tucker), her elbow was by the rim grabbing rebounds. This younger girl proper right here (Bracone) was getting on the ground and getting in passing lanes. We have been boxing out. We have been going to the rim onerous. We simply have to scrub up the execution stuff. We now have to make our free throws. Make our layups. Make the correct reads.”
Tucker added 10 factors and eight rebounds for the Aggies. A&T’s protection has been excellent to date within the WNIT. The 2023-24 A&T ladies’s basketball crew is the second crew in program historical past to win two WNIT video games after the 2009-10 crew did the identical with wins at Wake Forest and Charlotte.
The Aggies have held their opponents to a mixed 35.6 p.c capturing whereas holding them to 48. factors per recreation. A&T, who improved to 22-11 on the season and 4-5 all-time within the WNIT, will face Florida Worldwide College or Troy on Friday night time.
Courtesy: North Carolina A&T Athletics
