WILMINGTON, N.C. (Interstat) — Rori Cox scored a career-high 33 points and UNC Wilmington withstood a late rally to edge North Carolina A&T 69-64 in a Coastal Athletic Association women’s basketball game Friday night at Trask Coliseum.

In a contest between teams seeking to climb out of the lower tier of the conference standings, the Seahawks leaned heavily on their sophomore guard from Brooklyn, New York. Cox played 38 minutes, adding five assists and four steals while orchestrating an offense that finally seized control in the third quarter after a back-and-forth first half.

The game’s pivotal stretch came after halftime. Trailing 38-30 at the break, UNC Wilmington opened the third quarter on a 20-2 run, flipping an eight-point deficit into a 50-40 lead. Cox was the catalyst, scoring nine points during the surge, including a driving layup and a free throw to complete a three-point play. The Seahawks outscored the Aggies 20-8 in the period, holding them to just three field goals.

North Carolina A&T, which had started strong with a 24-point first quarter, went cold. The Aggies missed 12 of their 15 shot attempts in the third and committed five turnovers, allowing the Seahawks to build their largest lead at 12 points.

The Aggies refused to fold, mounting a determined comeback in the final period. A 9-2 run, capped by a D’Mya Tucker layup with 5:42 remaining, cut the Seahawks’ lead to 56-53. Tucker finished with 10 points and four assists.

Every time the Aggies threatened, Cox had an answer. After Tucker’s basket, Cox immediately responded with a clutch 3-pointer from the wing to push the lead back to six. Later, with UNC Wilmington clinging to a 61-59 advantage and under two minutes to play, Cox drew a foul and calmly sank two free throws. She scored 11 of her points in the fourth quarter, all from the free-throw line or at the rim, to stave off the Aggies’ charge.

Chaniya Clark led North Carolina A&T with 17 points, four blocked shots and nine rebounds. Paris Locke added 14 points and three assists, while reserve Crystal Hardy provided a spark with nine points on three 3-pointers in just eight minutes of action.

The Aggies’ early success was built on hot shooting, as they connected on four first-quarter 3-pointers to build a 24-19 lead. UNC Wilmington struggled to find an offensive rhythm early, committing seven turnovers in the opening quarter.

The Seahawks tightened their defense in the second quarter, holding A&T to 14 points, and began chipping away. Kylah Silver contributed 12 points for UNC Wilmington, and Mary Ferrito added seven points and played all 40 minutes, securing the win with two decisive free throws with two seconds left.

Despite the loss, North Carolina A&T dominated the glass, outrebounding the Seahawks 48-34, including 20 offensive rebounds. However, 21 turnovers proved costly, leading to 21 points for UNC Wilmington.

The win improves UNC Wilmington’s record to 6-17 overall. The Seahawks had lost eight of their last nine games entering the contest. North Carolina A&T falls to 9-14, seeing a two-game winning streak snapped.

The game, played before an announced crowd of 771, was a statistical upset. Interstat’s ELO system had projected the Aggies with an 82.1 percent probability to win.

UNC Wilmington hosts Campbell on Sunday. North Carolina A&T returns home to face Hofstra, also on Sunday. The two teams will meet again in the regular-season finale on March 5 in Greensboro.