ORANGEBURG, S.C. – North Carolina A&T women's basketball is marching toward another 20-win season as they continue their quest for a better seed at the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Basketball Championship Tournament next week as they went on the road and defeated S.C. State 63-47 Monday night at Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center. 
 
Senior center Alexus Lessears led the Aggies with 17 points and nine rebounds on 7-for-12 shooting. Sophomore Jasmen Walton added 11 points and six rebounds. Senior forward Le'on Hill had 10 rebounds as the Aggies (19-8, 11-4 MEAC) nearly doubled up the Bulldogs (3-26, 2-14 MEAC) on the glass as they outrebounded SCSU 48-26. 
 
N.C. A&T is still tied for third in the conference with Morgan State. If the tournament were to start today, the Aggies would be the No. 4 seed because Morgan defeated the Aggies in a head-to-head matchup in Baltimore. 
 
The Aggies have one game remaining against archrival N.C. Central 4 p.m., Thursday in Durham, N.C. Norfolk State, who is currently second in the league with a 12-3 record, plays Morgan Thursday evening at 5:30. If the teams end a three-way tie, Morgan would earn the No. 2 seed by having a 2-1 record combined against N.C. A&T and Norfolk. 
 
N.C. A&T would be the third seed in that scenario with a 1-1 record amongst the three teams. If Norfolk and N.C. A&T win on Thursday, the Aggies will also be the No. 3 seed. An Aggies loss on Thursday will push them down to the No. 4 seed regardless of what happens in the Norfolk/Morgan game. 
 
It was a battle early on for the Aggies on Monday. They trailed 25-24 at halftime. SCSU held the lead halfway through the third quarter as two Chrisana Scott free throws gave the Bulldogs a 35-34 lead. The Aggies answered as senior Mikaya Wilson found Lessears inside for a layup to give the Aggies a 36-35 lead with 5:27 to play. The Aggies never trailed again. 
 
Wilson then drove the lane to score again to give the Aggies a three-point advantage. A Jacquece Alston steal and layup slowed the Aggies momentum for a moment before the Aggies ended the quarter on a 5-0 run to take a 43-37 lead going into the fourth quarter. 
 
Quarter No. 4 opened with the Aggies putting together a 7-2 run as a Hill layup gave the Aggies a 50-39 lead with 7:54 to play. Three-and-half minutes later, a 3-point play by junior Deja Winters put the Aggies ahead 55-41. 
 
The Aggies shot 53.6 percent (15-for-28) in the second half to pull away from the Bulldogs. They shot 36 percent in the first half and led the Bulldogs 15-9 after the first quarter. 
 
SCSU quickly got to within one, 15-14, after a Heniaya Moten hit a 3-pointer and Alston scored on a layup. N.C. A&T went on a 7-0 run capped by freshman Shayla Nelson to give the Aggies a 22-14 lead with 5:41 remaining in the half. SCSU closed the half on an 11-2 run to take a one-point lead. 
 
Scott led the Bulldogs with 14 points. 
 
If the Aggies win on Thursday, they will reach 20 wins in a season for the ninth time in 13 seasons. It would be their third straight 20-win season.