GREENSBORO - The North Carolina A&T women's basketball team has been in this spot before. Each of the last three years, the Aggies have made a run toward an undefeated season in the MEAC only to have a team derail those aspirations in middle-to-late February.

Each time the Aggies have been able to recover easily. They did it again. After losing their first conference game of the season to Hampton on Monday, the Aggies bounced back on Saturday with a convincing 83-63 win over S.C. State at Corbett Sports Center. The Aggies (18-8, 12-1 MEAC) won by 38 after their first conference loss in 2008, and they won by 33 after their first conference loss in 2007.

The Aggies improved to 18-8 overall and 12-1 in the MEAC. They also took a step closer to their third straight MEAC regular-season championship with the victory. The Aggies lead Morgan State by 2 ½ games with three conference games remaining. A Morgan State loss to Maryland Eastern Shore on Monday would guarantee the Aggies at least a share of the title.

On Saturday, senior Ta'Wuana Cook led five Aggies in double figures with 25 points on six 3-pointers. Senior Lamona Smalley recorded her sixth double-double in seven games with 11 points, 12 rebounds and five assists. Jaleesa Sams added 14.

"South Carolina State was the type of opponent we needed today after the loss because they're the type of team that's going to force you to execute on the defensive end,'' said head coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs, who saw her team only win by seven against the Bulldogs in Orangeburg, S.C., earlier this season. "They're patient with the basketball, and they're going to move the ball around until you make a mistake. Their record really doesn't indicate what a good team they are."

The Aggies led by as many as 12 in the first half, but saw the Bulldogs slice that lead to six by the half. Trinese Fox got the Bulldogs (8-17, 3-10 MEAC) to within 38-34 on a layup two minutes into the second half. Cook took over the game from there.

Freshman JaQuayla Berry went down the lane to score on a runner to push the Aggies lead back to six. Cook then turned a Sophilia Hipps turnover into a 3-point basket. After Greensboro native and Southeast Guilford graduate Paris Alston scored on a baseline jumper for the Bulldogs, Cook took a crosscourt pass from Smalley to score on a 3-pointer from the corner.

Sophomore Tierra Thomas kept the run going by using one of her four steals on the day to bounce a pass to Cook on the break that resulted in a layup and a 48-36 Aggies lead with 16:07 remaining. Cook followed her layup with two free throws to give her 10 points during the Aggies game-clinching 18-2 run. The Aggies shot 72 percent in the second half.

"It gets tougher and tougher as you enter March,'' said Bibbs. "You really have to start valuing every possession. We didn't get in a hurry like we did in the first half. They settled in and executed on offense, and then clamped down on them defensively."

Hipps led the Bulldogs with 20 points. Alston added 15. The Aggies are back in action Monday night when they head over to the Greensboro Coliseum to face arch-rival Winston-Salem State at 6 p.m.