All five Aggie starters score in double figures

 ORANGEBURG, January 26, 2009 – The North Carolina A&T women’s basketball team appears to have learned their lesson from a week ago. Slow starts might and can lead to disaster.

After starting slow against Delaware State a week ago, a start that almost cost them to lose their undefeated status in the conference, the Aggies have jumped all over their last two opponents with the latest victim being S.C. State.

The Aggies put the Bulldogs in a big hole early and never relented as they won their seventh straight thanks to a 90-61 win at Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center. All five Aggie starters scored in double figures led by Amber Bland’s 23 points and five rebounds. Lamona Smalley recorded her 10^th career double with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Jaleesa Sams added 13 points on 6-for-9 shooting, while Brittanie Taylor-James scored 12 points and had nine rebounds. Junior point guard Ta’Wuana Cook finished with 11 points and seven boards.

“We’ve been preaching about putting two halves together since the preseason,’’ said head coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs who improved to 137-47 against MEAC foes over her 11 years of coaching in the league. “We are on a mission, and I believe champions play like champions no matter who they are playing or what the score is. We executed from the start. Our first half was awesome.”

The Aggies jumped out to a 22-4 lead thanks to another fast start by Bland. On Saturday, she scored 17 of the Aggies first 26 points in the win over Winston-Salem State. She scored 15 first-half points Monday night on 6-for-7 shooting to help the Aggies take a commanding 41-13 lead into the locker room. Defensively, the Aggies held the Bulldogs to just 18.5 percent shooting in the half.

A part of the Aggies stellar first-half defense was holding the league leader in field goal shooting, Marie Reid, to just 1-for-8 shooting and three points.

“The young lady is a great passer as well as a great scorer,’’ said Bibbs. “So we wanted to make sure we stayed in front of her because when she is not scoring, she’s great at distributing the basketball.”

The Aggies (13-5, 6-0 MEAC) won their fifth straight game on the road. Over those five games, they are shooting 47.4 percent from the floor and Bland is averaging 21.8 points in that same span. The Aggies will need the excellent road play to continue as they travel to a much-improved Howard team Saturday at 2 p.m.

Following their clash with Howard, the Aggies travel to the place where they had their only regular-season loss a year ago – Hampton. The game will be played Monday at 6 p.m.

“We have a tough stretch coming up, but we simply have to keep our eye on the prize,’’ said Bibbs. “We have to keep winning and playing well on the road to be where we need to be at the end of the season. I told them at halftime today not to get away from the things that got them the lead. The same goes for playing on the road. Don’t get away from the things that have helped you win on the road.”