Jan. 16, 2012
Final Stats
Reach WBB Contact Michael Stambaugh for more details by E-Mail
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The Lady Wildcats (5-12) proved to be overtime warriors Monday night at Moore Gymnasium, outscoring Savannah State 9-5 in the overtime to come out victorious and move to 2-3 in MEAC play with the 58-54 win. B-CU weathered the storm with four lead changes and seven ties, but ultimately earned the win on key defensive stops to defeat the Lady Tigers (6-11, 1-5 MEAC), 58-54.
The Lady Wildcats came charging out of the gate, clearly bouncing back from Saturday's chemistry struggles against South Carolina State, and quickly building a 10-point lead by the mid-point of the first half. B-CU ran up against some some scoring challenges in the final minutes of the half, as a SSU outscored the Lady Wildcats 8-4 in the final five minutes of the first period to narrow the B-CU lead to 23-21 at the half.
Much like B-CU, known for their defensive toughness, the Lady Tigers are known for their defensive toughness and held B-CU for the opening three minutes of the second period, first creating the tie, then going up by four, but the Lady Wildcats were quick to respond.
"Tonight we came out with a lot of energy in the second half, which is what we didn't do on Saturday," said Head Coach Vanessa Blair.
With smothering defense and timely scoring, neither team was able to break away. B-CU went up by five twice in the latter part of the half, but SSU crept back, with three ties in the last three minutes of regulation. In a 49-all tie, regulation ended with the ball in Savannah State's hands, but the Lady Wildcat defense forced the ball to stay on the perimeter and created a deadball out of bounds with just 1.6 seconds on the clock; just enough time for an errant three-pointer by top-scorer Ezinne Kalu before the game went to overtime.
The Lady Wildcats controlled the tempo in the extra period, attacking the basket, and drawing fouls to create scoring opportunities. B-CU's defense came up big with stops instead of steals, holding SSU to just 25 percent shooting in the final period. Offensively, the Lady Wildcats put down crucial shots from the line. Demetria Frank put in the only B-CU field goal of the overtime, but she combined with Jasmine Elum, Jalisa Isaac, and Sharnese Neal to hit 7-of-8 free throws and outscore Savannah State 8-4, going on to win 58-54 as the final overtime buzzer sounded.
Demetria Frank led the effort of three Lady Wildcats in double figures, collecting 14 points, while Jasmine Elum and Jalisa Isaac each put up 10. Not the typical rebounder, Elum was all over the glass, leading the team with 8 boards.
The Lady Wildcats are now 3-1 when three scorers reach double figures.
The Lady Wildcats protected the ball well from the Lady Tigers, tying a season-low of 15 (last vs. Kent State, 12/30/11) turnovers with 20 coming from SSU's lineup.
B-CU successfully held Kalu below average, but she still had an impact, putting up 16, while Jazmine Norman stepped up to lead the Lady Tigers with 18 points and six rebounds.
For the remainder of February, B-CU will face its tests on the road, with the next three games outside of the confines of Moore Gymnasium. First up, B-CU travels to face Delaware State (3-13, 0-3 MEAC) in Dover, Del. on Saturday, January 21.
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