Feb. 25, 2012

Box Score

By Dan Ryan
B-CUAthletics.com

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – How close doesn't matter sometimes. Saturday's three-point loss, 75-72, to Norfolk State in the final week of February still meant Bethune-Cookman won't repeat as Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference regular season champions.

Pendarvis Williams scored 22 points and Kyle O'Quinn 20 as the Spartans' victory along with a Savannah State win over North Carolina Central left the Wildcats (13-16 overall, 9-5 MEAC) three games behind SSU with two to play.

B-CU's now in fourth place, and only the top three teams earn a first-round bye in the conference tournament March 5-10 in Winston-Salem, N.C. The Wildcats' only hope for a top three is to win out and Delaware State loses its final two.

This wasn't a time to feel good how far this team has come. Sure, B-CU held its own against a 20-win program with perhaps the league's best player, but it wasn't enough.

“We had a chance to win this game,” said B-CU Coach Gravelle Craig.

The Wildcats held the Spartans to 22 first-half points and put many of their starters in early foul trouble, including O'Quinn, who only scored one. The preseason MEAC player of the year was 6-7 from the field and 6-6 from the line in the final 20 minutes.

“Player of the year took over ,” Craig said. “We held him in check, but we couldn't get him to get a fourth foul. Bottom line is that we gave up 53 points in the second half. You don't deserve to win if you do that.”

O'Quinn broke a 61-61 tie, the 12th of the game, on a jumper with 3:59 remaining to give the Spartans the lead for good. Norfolk State made 10 of 12 free throw attempts the rest of the way.

Neither team led by more than seven points and there were 18 lead changes. Marcos Tamares added 16 points for the Spartans (20-9, 11-3 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference), who have won three of their past four.

Kevin Dukes scored 16 points, including 13 in the second half as he helped B-CU erase a 37-30 deficit. Anthony Breeze, who had a spirited battle with O'Quinn in the post, added 12 while Javoris Bryant scored 11, and Garrius Holloman had a 10-12 double-double.

B-CU hosts Hampton Monday at 7:30 p.m.