DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Despite limiting the high-scoring East Carolina Pirates to their lowest point total of the season, second half scoring troubles hindered the Lady Wildcats, falling at home for just the second time this season, 58-49.
Coming into Sunday's non-conference contest with a record ranked among the top 20 in the NCAA and scoring nearly 80 points per outing, East Carolina (11-1) was expected to be a stout challenge for the tough Bethune-Cookman (3-10). However, the Lady Wildcats' defense kept the Pirates at bay early in the game and the B-CU offense matched shot for shot, leading by as many as five.
Making her first career start, freshman Alea Godfrey put B-CU on the board early, dropping a step-back jumper for B-CU's first lead just over a minute into the game. Three consecutive scoring possessions provided ECU with a brief advantage, but free throws put the Lady Wildcats back on top.
Near the midpoint of the half, B-CU used an 8-2 swing to go up by five with a pair of free throws from Kailyn Williams and five points from Deja Gibson. ECU battled back to tie the game for the sixth and seventh times, as the teams traded shots in a dash to halftime. However, the Lady Wildcats managed only one field goal across the final five minutes, as ECU outscored B-CU 10-4 for the 35-31 halftime lead.
Although the ECU attack in the first half was very perimeter based, the Pirates brought the fight to B-CU in the paint early and often in the second half, scoring twice in the first minute of the second period, and building up a double-digit advantage.
Twice the Lady Wildcats drew the deficit to four points, the last time with just over four minutes remaining, using three consecutive scores from Williams, Jasmine Evans and Chastity René Taylor, who wrapped up the nine-point swing with one of her four three-pointers. However, the ECU defense held B-CU without a score through the final whistle, holding off the final Lady Wildcats rally for the 58-49 conclusion.
Taylor led the Lady Wildcats with 18 points, while shooting 50 percent from long range. Gibson and Shakeyia Colyer followed with seven and six points, respectively. Williams led the Lady Wildcats on the glass, notching nine rebounds and three blocks in the loss.
Although typically a high-percentage shooting team, B-CU limited the Pirates to just 33 percent shooting, including 29 percent in the second half and just 9.1 percent (2-for-22) from three-point range.
“We knew coming in that this team was capable of putting up big numbers,” Head Coach Vanessa Blair-Lewis said. “We knew we had to focus on our defensive effort to have a shot of staying in the game, especially trying to get over our shooting woes. We just couldn't generate enough finishes to capitalize.”
ECU's high-output tandem of Jada Payne and Abria Trice led the Pirates with 21 and 18, respectively. Only one other player had more than five points.
The Lady Wildcats will open the new year in South Florida, facing off with Florida Atlantic in Boca Raton on Jan. 2.
For all the latest information on the Bethune-Cookman Lady Wildcats, follow the official Twitter feeds, @BCUWBB or @BCUathletics, or "Like Us" on Facebook at BCUathletics.
To join the conversation about the 2013-14 season, please tag your social media posts with the official hashtag of B-CU women's basketball, #PlayersStartTeamsFinish. And, of course, don't forget about #HailWildcats.
-B-CUathletics.com-
Notes: With the addition of her three blocks versus East Carolina, Kailyn Williams surpasses both Candace Freeman (1993) and Sarah Bolden (2011) to move into sole ownership of fourth place on the B-CU All-Time Season Blocks list with 38. Williams is now within striking distance of the top 10 B-CU career blocks leaders list, as a freshman.
