TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Kendra Cooper and Terrenisha Hollis scored 19 points apiece to help lead visiting Bethune-Cookman to a 70-57 victory over Florida A&M in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference women's basketball matchup inside The Lawson Center on Saturday afternoon.
The victory was not only a fifth consecutive win for Bethune-Cookman, but marked the first-ever win for head coach Vanessa Blair-Lewis over FAMU in Tallahassee.
“[The win] feels great,” said Blair-Lewis afterwards. “It's really great for these young ladies to come out here and not just win, but turn four wins into five wins.”
Bethune-Cookman (9-12, 6-3 MEAC) jumped out to a fast 7-0 start as Kendra Cooper netted a three-pointer, following baskets from Kailyn Williams and Jasmine Knowles to begin the game. Moments later, Terrenisha Hollis got into the scoring act when she scored six of the next eight points for the Wildcats, extending the lead at 15-6 with 13:16 remaining in the opening half.
The lead swelled to 15 at the break, using a late 7-2 surge by the Cats, powered by the play of Cooper, as she scored all seven points during the run to finish with 15 altogether at intermission. That allowed B-CU to carry a 34-19 lead into the locker room.
FAMU (7-13, 3-5 MEAC) would see its deficit grow to 49-25 as Hollis knocked down a pair of foul shots – adding a three-pointer moments later, to fall behind by the largest margin of the day at 24, with just under 12 minutes remaining in the contest.
Olivia Antilla and Khaderja Young found their rhythm late for the Rattlers, as a 10-3 run brought homestanding FAMU within 64-54 with 1:09 left in the game.
However, Bethune-Cookman knocked down 6-of-10 free throws in the final minute to keep the Rattlers at bay, and never allow the lead to settle under a double-digit advantage.
In all, the Wildcats hit on 24 free throws for the game, while shooting at a 40 percent clip from beyond the arc. As a team, the Wildcats shot 44.4 percent from the field, conversely holding the Rattlers to just 29.6 percent from the floor.
FAMU was powered by Antilla and Young, each finishing with 15 points in the scoring column, as Young added a team-high matching eight rebounds and five steals.
B-CU countered with the 19-point outbursts from Cooper and Hollis. For Hollis, the 19 points was her highest since scoring 21 in a victory at Savannah State back on December 6. She went on to flirt with a near quadruple-double, finishing with eight rebounds, eight assists and eight steals.
Kailyn Williams added 14 points and 11 rebounds for her sixth double-double performance of the year, which includes a double-double in four of her last five games. She also registered a game-high seven blocks.
With B-CU having won five consecutive games for the first time since 2009-10 – the first season under Vanessa Blair Lewis, the Wildcats have now won four of their last five true road games dating back to December 6, and a win over Savannah State in Georgia.
“I think this [winning streak] means a lot,” expressed Blair-Lewis. “This is the work they've put in, and now you're seeing the results of it. All we want to do is continue the journey with them; continue to roll with them.”
Bethune-Cookman will have a week off before returning to the hardwood Saturday, Feb. 7, traveling to Delaware State for an MEAC contest slated to begin at 2 p.m.
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