MACON, Ga. – The final game of the 2023 calendar year occurs this weekend as Bethune-Cookman Women's Basketball travels to Mercer for the final regular season nonconference contest of the 2023-24 campaign on Saturday, Dec. 30, in Macon, Georgia. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m.
 
What: Game Thirteen
Who: Bethune-Cookman (8-4) vs. Mercer (5-9)
When: Saturday, Dec. 30, at 2 p.m.
Where: Macon, Ga. – Hawkins Arena (3,500)
 
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: Mercer Broadcast
Attend: Online Ticket Sales
Live Stats: Click Here
 
IN THE RANKINGS
▪ Bethune-Cookman is not ranked in this week's Associated Press Top 25
▪ Mercer is not ranked in this week's Associated Press Top 25
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
Keep up with everything Bethune-Cookman Women's Basketball this season by following the Wildcats social media platforms. You can follow @BCU_WBB on Instagram and @BCUWBB on Twitter.
 
NEWS & NOTES
▪ Bethune-Cookman arrives to Macon, Georgia with wins in eight of its last 10 contests, including holding five of the last six opponents to under 60 points each, respectively.
▪ The Wildcats are holding opponents to an average of 57.3 points per game, using a scoring margin of +13.4 against the opposition in the process.
▪ With an aggressive offense, the Cats have been averaging 20.4 free throws per contest over the last seven games.
▪ BCU has been shooting just 26.3 percent from long range this season – down almost three percent from the previous two years at this point of the season.
▪ While leading the team in points at 12.7 per game, Chanel Wilson also leads the team with 48 assists (4.0 per game).
▪ Junior center Kayla Clark has turned in four double-digit rebounding games this season, as well as a team-leading two (2) double-double performances.
▪ Kerrighan Dunn and D'Shantae Edwards have combined for 60 steals thus far on the campaign with the pair recording 36 percent of the team's total steals for the season.
▪ O'Mariyah Tucker, a senior guard from Ocala, Florida, leads the Maroon and Gold with a 42.3 percent shooting touch from beyond the arc, adding a 42.7 percent clip from the field overall.
 
RECAPPING BCU'S LAST GAME (vs. North Carolina A&T)
D'Mya Tucker scored 20 points and Maleia Bracone scored 18 to lead North Carolina A&T to a 66-47 win over Bethune-Cookman at The Edmunds Center on the campus of Stetson University. In the loss, BCU sees its four-game unbeaten run come to an end just before the holiday break.
 
Bethune-Cookman trailed 19-9 after the opening quarter as North Carolina A&T got to the free throw line eight times – converting on all eight attempts in the process. BCU was forced into seven first quarter turnovers as the Aggies scored seven points off those miscues. A Maleia Bracone fastbreak jumper in the paint pushed the North Carolina A&T lead to 22-9.
 
Kayla White and D'Shantae Edwards would spark the Wildcats to a 16-0 midway through the second quarter, as a three-pointer from the corner by White allowed BCU its first lead of the game at 23-22. Edwards followed with her second steal of the period, dropping in a driving layup and extending the Cats lead at 25-22 with 2:57 remaining in the first half. However, N.C. A&T's D'Mya Tucker connected on a three-pointer to lift the Aggies back out in front, 29-27 with 1:36 left. Free throws from Jordyn Dorsey and Bracone advanced the lead as the Aggies took a 33-27 lead into the locker room at the half.
 
For the game, North Carolina A&T shot 92.3 percent from the foul line as the Aggies connected on 24 of 26 attempts. Meanwhile, an aggressive BCU offense was limited to just 6 of 14 at the foul line. With BCU trailing 36-34 after a Chanelle McDonald jumper in the paint, it would be N.C. A&T's Dorsey hitting four consecutive free throws to begin a run for the Aggies, eventually leading to their 49-40 lead at the end of the third quarter. Sean Kelly Darks converted on a fastbreak layup, and teammates Mia Hardin and Tucker bookended that with layups of their own over the course of the final three minutes in the period.
 
N.C. A&T would eventually outscore the Cats 17-7 in the final stanza.
 
The Aggies received a game-high 20 points from Tucker, followed in double-figures by Bracone (18), as well as Dorsey (15). Hardin led all players in the game with eight rebounds. BCU was led in scoring by Kerrighan Dunn with 18 points, as she connected on 4 of 9 from beyond the arc – adding six rebounds and a pair of steals. Edwards turned in eight points and three steals. White registered seven points and five rebounds in the loss.
 
BCU VS. MERCER SERIES
▪ The series between Mercer and Bethune-Cookman stands tied at one game apiece.
▪ BCU took the first-ever meeting by a 106-58 scoreline back on Dec. 7, 1985, in Daytona Beach.
▪ Mercer claimed the last game between the two sides courtesy a 48-47 decision in Columbia, South Carolina back on Nov. 25, 2006.
 
SCOUTING MERCER
▪ While holding a record of 5-9 overall on the season, Mercer has won three of its last five games entering the weekend.
▪ The Bears defeated common opponent North Carolina A&T by a score of 55-52 back on December 9.
▪ Mercer is averaging 63 points per game on the scoreboard, while opponents are averaging 68.9 points per game in reverse.
▪ Committing 16.9 turnovers per game, the Bears are allowing opponents to score an average of 17 points per game off their turnovers.
▪ Briana Peguero is leading the way for the Bears with 12.4 points per game, followed by Mackenzie Johnson (10.5 ppg) and Stacie Jones (10.1 ppg) in double-figures scoring, respectfully.
▪ Jones is also bringing down a team-leading 7.2 rebounds per contest.
▪ Mercer is shooting 32.4 percent from three-point range, with Deja Williams leading the bunch with 31 made and shooting at a 35.6 percent clip from beyond the arc.
 
UP NEXT
Bethune-Cookman begins the 2024 calendar year with Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) play at home to in-state opponent Florida A&M on Saturday, Jan. 6, at 2 p.m., inside Moore Gymnasium.
 
Follow Bethune-Cookman Women's Basketball on Twitter (@BCUWBB) and Instagram (@BCU_WBB) for all of the latest news and updates. For all Bethune-Cookman Athletics news, follow us on Twitter (@BCUAthletics), Instagram (@BCU_Athletics) and BCUathletics.com.