ORANGEBURG, S.C. - The Lady Wildcats of Bethune-Cookman women's basketball faced a crucial conference matchup in today's game with the South Carolina State Lady Bulldogs at the Smith-Hammond-Middleton Center. A slow first period put B-CU in a hole at halftime, but the ladies showed their resiliency and battled back, tying up the game in the closing seconds of the second half to force overtime at 60-60. In the extra time, B-CU grabbed an early lead, but was outrebounded, while shooting 33 percent. SCSU put away key free throws to top B-CU, 71-67.
The first half for B-CU was shaky in many aspects. The Lady Bulldogs jumped out to a 7-0 lead before B-CU responded, and continued to be slow to score throughout the first period. B-CU seemed sluggish in their early play in today's key game. That lack of energy was reflected in their shooting, as the Lady Wildcats were making the right shot selections and shot 29.6 percent (8-of-27) from the field in the first half. The Lady Wildcats were noticeably getting outplayed on the boards by SCSU, who did not have a disparate size advantage. SCSU topped B-CU by 17 rebounds in the first, generating 9 second-chance points early. SCSU went into halftime with a 34-23 lead.
A typically strong second half team, B-CU lived up to the expectation, and came out much more lively from the locker room. After trading scores early in the half, B-CU got a better grip on defending the inside-outside combination attack that the Lady Bulldogs were hitting them with. The Lady Wildcats slowly chiseled away at the lead, taking more perimeter shots and taking better shots all around.
By the five-minute mark, B-CU had narrowed the lead to just a single point, taking a lead with 3:57 on the clock. B-CU expanded the lead to three just one minute later. However, after holding the lead for more than 36 minutes in the game, SCSU was not going to surrender easily, first tying the game with a key three-pointer and regaining a four-point lead on free throws with under one minute to play. B-CU wasn't ready to lay down either; Jasmine Daniels hit a quick slashing layup within seconds, SCSU surrendered a turnover, and Demetria Frank attacked the basket and tallied the game's second tie with :29 on the clock; also fouled on the shot. However, Frank's opportunity to take a late lead was rebounded by SCSU defenders. Both teams locked down defensively, as time expired with the score at 60-60, heading to overtime.
In the extra period, B-CU got the tip and attacked right away, scoring just seconds into the overtime on a quick layup. After SCSU knotted up the score at 62, B-CU failed to convert on four straight possessions. In the meantime, the Lady Bulldogs collected points on three consecutive possessions to gain a six point advantage, forcing B-CU to foul. The Lady Wildcats found solid shots, scoring five in the final minute, but could not overcome excellent SCSU free throw shooting, as the Lady Bulldogs shot 4-of-6 in the final minute to lock in the victory at 71-67.
Although the Lady Wildcats turned in a low count of 12 turnovers for the game, B-CU was dominated on the glass, with SCSU outrebounding 64-37. The Lady Bulldogs used this to their advantage with putbacks to score a total of 27 second-chance points. B-CU shot 35.3 percent from the field for the game.
Four Lady Wildcats scored in double-figures, creating a balanced scoring attack once B-CU got rolling. Jasmine Daniels led the team with 13 points, shooting 44 percent from the field and 2-of-2 from the perimeter. Euneshia Proctor and Jasmine Bugg also scored 10 against SCSU.
The significance of today's loss is yet to be seen, with conference results still shaking out. The conference final standings were already looking murky, with six teams battling it out in ties, ranging from second to fifth. With two consecutive conference losses, B-CU's once-strong hopes for a bye early in the conference tournament may now be fading. B-CU's next matchup, at Winston-Salem State is important for the overall success of the season, but the crucial game is the final, next Thursday in Tallahassee, against rival Florida A&M.
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