Game Notes

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Bethune-Cookman University men's basketball hosts Florida A&M on Thursday, Mar. 7, at 7:30 p.m., to conclude the 2018-19 regular season. The Wildcats have won 10 consecutive in the series and with a victory coupled with a North Carolina Central loss can earn the third seed in next week's Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) tournament. With a loss, BCU can finish no worse than the fifth seed.

The game will be aired on FloHoops as part of the 2019 MEAC-FloSports partnership. Click here to watch.

Records
Bethune-Cookman: 14-15, 9-6 MEAC
South Carolina State: 11-19, 8-7 MEAC

Tickets 
Please click here to purchase your tickets for Saturday's game.

Starting 5
1 BCU sports a 10-3 home record this season that matches last year's mark. The 20 wins represent the highest two-year total since 2009-11, when the Wildcats won 11 home contests each year. Those years however, the Wildcats could play up to four non-Division 1 foes.

2 Thursday's matchup with Florida A&M for the most common opponent in BCU history and the 89th meeting. BCU has won 10 consecutive in the series, its longest win streak vs. the Rattlers

3 Cletrell Pope paces the MEAC and leads the nation with an average of 4.24 offensive rebounds. He is third nationally with his 12.1 rebounding average, and fourth with 350 total boards. The redshirt-junior's 20 double-doubles ranks second in the NCAA, and his 7.83 defensive rebound average is good for 12th. Pope is third in the MEAC in total blocks (38) and in average (1.31)

4 Head Coach Ryan Ridder owns 32 wins through his first two seasons leading the Wildcats. That is tied for first in BCU history for a Head Coach's first two seasons, along with his predecessor, Gravelle Craig. Ridder's 19 MEAC wins is best in the first two-year span

5 The 'Cats are top 50 nationally in the following CATegories: 

#6️Total Rebounds per game        #9️Offensive Rebounds avg.

#17 3FG% Defense        #46 FG% Defense 

#48 Turnovers Forced per game

Last Time vs. FAMU 2/23/19
The combination of Malik Maitland and Cletrell Pope proved to be lethal once again as Bethune-Cookman won for the 10^thconsecutive time against rival Florida A&M, 67-54, Saturday at the Al Lawson Center.

BCU (13-15, 8-6) moved to fourth in the conference standings with 20 apiece from Pope and Maitland. Pope earned his 19^thdouble-double of the season with a game-high 12 boards, while Maitland dished out a game-high seven assists and team-best four steals.

Coming Soon
The Wildcats travel to Norfolk, Va., for the 2019 MEAC Tournament. BCU can enter the action anywhere from the three to the five seed.

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