DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The Lady Wildcats came up with a big win tonight in round two of their 2009-10 games at the Daytona Beach Ocean Center. The Lady Wildcats were simply too much for the Lady Rams of Winston-Salem State, running away with the victory, 74-40. The win also makes the current tally three in a row.
The first ten minutes of the game did not tell the tale of the result, as Winston-Salem State hung around early in the opening period, getting solid looks on slashing drives, and keeping just within striking distance. Missed opportunities at the free throw line helped to keep WSSU from getting out of position early, as B-CU went 4-9 from the line in the first half. However, around the midpoint of the half, B-CU launched into a 10-2 run that separated them from the Lady Rams. B-CU went into halftime with a 13-point lead, cut slightly short by a last-second WSSU three-pointer.
As the second half opened, WSSU stayed in the fight, but B-CU was able to pull away early on scoring runs, fueled by excellent defensive stops, steals and blocks. The Lady Wildcats clearly had the momentum and took advantage of the opportunity, pushing their lead out to their largest lead of 34 points as the final buzzer sounded with a B-CU victory, 74-40.
In addition to an outstanding offensive performance, with some of their best shooting of the season (50.8 percent), the Lady Wildcats were able to minimize turnovers while playing solid defense and collecting 13 team steals and 6 blocks. Using their defensive success, the Lady Wildcats were able to score 23 points off turnovers. B-CU also took care of the boards, outrebounding WSSU by 13, and scoring 15 second-chance points.
“I think our starting five did a great job tonight," said Head Coach Vanessa Inge, following the victory. "They came out and got us a lead and allowed our younger players get some time. A lot of our games we don't have that cushion, but tonight they did a good job and the younger players were able to come out and take advantage of some time.”
Taking charge for the Lady Wildcats on all fronts, Euneshia Proctor topped B-CU in scoring and rebounding, collecting 16 points and 9 rebounds. She also stepped up on the defensive end, collecting 3 steals and 1 block. Revealing potency in B-CU's offensive potential, tonight's competition made the eighth consecutive game since a single player for B-CU was the leading scorer in back-to-back games. B-CU has shown that they have many weapons when they are clicking. Tonight was no different, as two other Lady Wildcats scored in double figures. Sarah Bolden each finished with 12 points apiece, while Frank snagged a team-high 4 steals and Bolden also collected 8 rebounds. Also getting into the action on the glass, freshman Porche Anderson grabbed 8 boards of her own.
“We've done great this year, we're seven and one at home," noted Inge. "We take a lot of pride in finishing our work at home. It's tough to win on the road, there are so many you can't control, so many distractions."
The Lady Wildcats are on track for one of the best seasons since the early 2000s, and very near eclipsing last year's win total. The win tonight moves the Lady Wildcats to 10-10 overall, while sitting on a 5-3 conference record. B-CU now faces one of the biggest challenges of the season, as they try to maintain the winning streak and keep momentum as they head out for the next couple of weeks on a four-game road swing, beginning 4:00 pm, Friday, at Coppin State (7-11, 4-4 MEAC).
“Our expectations are extremely high; we want to have the first winning season in a long time for Bethune- Cookman," said Inge. "We want to get seeded top four for the tournament play, so that we don't have a bye that first game. So we have a lot of work left to do with eight conference games left and nine games left overall.”
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