ELON, N.C. (Interstat) — Trent Middleton scored 24 points to lead four North Carolina A&T players in double figures as the Aggies dominated Elon 102-82 in a Colonial Athletic Association men’s basketball game Saturday at Schar Center. North Carolina A&T shot a blistering 66.7% from the field and never trailed, building a 53-41 halftime lead. The Aggies’ efficient offense, which produced 46 points in the paint, proved insurmountable for the Phoenix. Lewis Walker also scored 24 for the Aggies. Zamoku Weluche-Ume added 19 and Mujahiid Burton had 17. Elon was led by Chandler Cuthrell with 18 points and Bryson Cokley with 19. The victory improved North Carolina A&T to 11-15 overall, while Elon fell to 14-14. An announced crowd of 2,312 attended the game.

ELON, N.C. (Interstat) — In a stunning offensive display that defied both recent history and statistical probability, the North Carolina A&T Aggies rolled to a decisive 102-82 victory over the Elon Phoenix in a Colonial Athletic Association men’s basketball game Saturday at Schar Center. The Aggies, who entered the contest with an 11-15 record and had lost five of their last six, executed with near-flawless efficiency from start to finish. They built a 12-point halftime lead and never relented, shooting a scorching 66.7% from the field for the game. The performance was a dramatic turnaround from their previous meeting just over six weeks prior, a 69-64 Elon victory in Greensboro, and it thoroughly upended a pregame projection that gave the Phoenix an 85.8% chance to win. The most important part of the game was North Carolina A&T’s immediate and sustained offensive eruption, which established a tone of dominance that Elon could never disrupt. From the opening tip, the Aggies attacked the rim and found high-percentage shots, hitting their first four field goal attempts. This early burst ignited a first-half clinic in which they scored 53 points on 70% shooting. The Aggies’ precision negated Elon’s advantages in offensive rebounding and fast-break points, as they simply did not miss enough to allow the Phoenix to capitalize on those extra opportunities. Trent Middleton, North Carolina A&T’s top star who had been held to just two points in his previous outing, spearheaded the assault. The 6-foot-3 guard from Philadelphia orchestrated the offense masterfully, scoring 24 points and dishing out 8 assists while committing only 2 turnovers in 40 minutes of action. His ability to penetrate and create, both for himself and others, was the engine of an attack that posted an exceptional offensive rating of 147.9 points per 100 possessions. Middleton was far from alone. Lewis Walker, a 6-foot-6 forward from Winston-Salem, matched Middleton’s 24 points, often finishing plays at the rim. Forward Zamoku Weluche-Ume of London, England, added 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting, and guard Mujahiid Burton contributed 17 points. The Aggies’ starting lineup combined for 84 points, showcasing a level of cohesion and shot-making that overwhelmed Elon’s defense. Elon, which fell to 14-14 overall, struggled to find consistent answers. The Phoenix shot just 42.4% from the field and 35.5% from three-point range. Chandler Cuthrell led the home team with 18 points, while Bryson Cokley added 19 and Randall Pettus scored 14. Despite grabbing 16 offensive rebounds to North Carolina A&T’s 8, and converting them into 13 second-chance points, Elon could not string together enough stops to mount a serious threat in the second half. Every time Elon showed a flicker of momentum, North Carolina A&T had a response, usually in the form of a made basket in the paint, where they outscored Elon 46-32. The Aggies’ lead fluctuated between 10 and 15 points for much of the final period, and they closed the game by making 18 of their 21 free-throw attempts to seal the 20-point margin. The victory provides a significant boost for North Carolina A&T as the regular season winds down, demonstrating a potential they had not consistently shown. For Elon, the loss was a missed opportunity to solidify its position in the conference standings and a stark reminder of the perils of defensive lapses. North Carolina A&T will look to build on this performance when it travels to face UNC Wilmington on Thursday. Elon will aim to regroup on the road at Towson, also on Thursday. The announced attendance at Schar Center was 2,312.

Preview: North Carolina A&T at Elon ELON, N.C. (Interstat) — Two teams looking to build momentum for the Colonial Athletic Association tournament will meet Saturday when the Elon Phoenix hosts the North Carolina A&T Aggies at Schar Center. Elon (14-13) enters the contest having snapped a four-game skid with an 81-78 road win at William & Mary on Feb. 14. The Phoenix are 9-5 at home this season. North Carolina A&T (10-15) seeks to end a two-game losing streak after falling 74-61 to College of Charleston on Thursday. The matchup features two of the conference’s top scorers. Elon is led by guard Bryson Cokley, who erupted for a season-high 29 points in the win over William & Mary. He averages 14.1 points per game but has been inconsistent, scoring six points or fewer in three of his last seven outings. The Aggies counter with guard Lewis Walker, who has been a consistent offensive force. He averages 19.9 points in conference play and is coming off a 16-point effort against Charleston. Walker scored 33 points in a win over Towson on Jan. 24 and has topped 23 points three times in the last month. Elon won the first meeting this season, 69-64, in Greensboro on Jan. 8. In that game, the Phoenix held North Carolina A&T to 38.6% shooting from the field. For Elon, forward Chandler Cuthrell provides a secondary threat, posting 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists in the recent win. The Aggies will need production beyond Walker; Dwayne Pierce (13 points) and Mujahiid Burton (11 points) were the only other double-figure scorers in the loss to Charleston. Both teams have struggled with consistency in league play. Elon sits in the middle of the CAA standings, while North Carolina A&T is near the bottom. A win for the Phoenix would solidify their positioning for the conference tournament, while the Aggies aim to play spoiler and sweep the season’s road swing through North Carolina. The game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. tipoff on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026.