Jan. 17, 2011
Final Stats
By Dan Ryan
B-CUAthletics.com
PRINCESS ANNE, Md. - Building the lead is the fun part. Maintaining said lead on the road is the challenge that's put Bethune-Cookman on top of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
After building a 13-point advantage, the Wildcats fended off Maryland-Eastern Shore for a 71-64 victory Monday afternoon that extended their winning streak to five and also improved their league mark to 5-0.
Alexander Starling 10 as B-CU (10-8 overall, 5-0 MEAC) took a half-game lead over idle Morgan State by finishing off a four-game road trip that started the heart of league play.
UM-ES (4-13, 1-3) cut a 47-33 B-CU lead to one point on two occasions and two points twice, the last coming when Joseph Swift's lay-up made it 62-60 with 1:53 remaining.
But B-CU pulled away with a decisive 11-4 run while keeping the Hawks from making a three-pointer or a defensive stop. Reed hit a jumper in the lane with 1:13 left, and Stanley Elliott, Javoris Bryant, Holloman and Mikel Trapp combined to hit seven consecutive free throws in the final 51 seconds.
"Teams will make runs," said B-CU CoachClifford Reed, Jr. "We've lost some tough games and learned to play through adversity. We've learned. We've matured."
Before MEAC play, B-CU lost three road games when it led at halftime. On this trip, B-CU needed overtime to win at Norfolk State, erased a 14-point deficit at North Carolina A&T and withstood a Delaware State rally last Saturday.
"Ever since the Akron game (where B-CU saw a 14-point lead fade), we've gotten better," said Holloman, who posted his second double-double of the year. "We have to maintain our poise."
B-CU led by ten on three occasions in the first half before UM-ES rallied to take a 25-24 lead on a Tyler Hines bucket with 4:59 left. That lead didn't last long.
A 14-0 Wildcat run gave B-CU a 38-25 lead before the Hawks sank three free throws in the final second of the half. Able to get out on transition, B-CU shot a blistering 61 percent (14-23) in the opening 20 minutes.
Bryant finished with nine points, while Elliott scored six of his eight in the second half. Trapp hit both of his 3-point attempts and scored seven. Albert Abrahams scored five and hit a big basket with the shot clock expiring that gave B-CU a 62-58 lead with 2:18 left.
The Wildcats will host perennial conference power Hampton in their MEAC home opener Saturday in historic Moore Gym.
"I hope the guys understand what they've done and come back and work harder," Coach Reed said. "It feels good to lead the league, but we're only a third of the way of the way through."
NOTES: B-CU is 5-0 when holding opponents under 41.4% FG percentage and 6-0 when opponents record 64 or less total points ... Wildcats have won all six times Holloman has scored more than 15 ... Starling has 7 straight double-figure point games ... B-CU has assured itself of a third consecutive winning January; Cats have won 15 of last 21 games in January dating back to 2009.
