PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas – Morgan Beacham scored 12 points while Chanel Wilson supplied a double-double on Saturday afternoon to help lift Bethune-Cookman over Prairie View A&M, 59-49 in Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Women's Basketball play at the William J. Nicks Building.
 
With Bethune-Cookman (8-12, 7-3 SWAC) leading 14-12 after the first quarter, the Wildcats would shoot 8-for-16 from the field in the second quarter to break open the game. Defensively, the Cats held Prairie View A&M (9-12, 6-4) to just 16.7 percent shooting in the period.
 
Prairie View A&M's Gerlyn Smith broke back door for a layup to knot the game at 15-all before BCU's Nia Jordan took a Karianna Woods pass to slide in for a layup, setting the visitors off on a 19-3 run. D'Shantae Edwards hit an old-fashioned three-point play, while later combining with Chanel Wilson for back-to-back layups.
 
A three-pointer from Morgan Beacham – off the assist from Wilson, pushed the Wildcats lead out to 34-18 with 17 seconds left in the first half. The Panthers' Diana Rosenthal converted 1-of-2 from the foul line to halt the Maroon and Gold run, allowing BCU a 34-19 lead as the teams headed to the locker room at the break.
 
The fourth quarter saw Prairie View A&M surge on an 11-4 run off the strength of Trinity Hudson inside, and aided by the three-point shot of Rosenthal to see the Panthers chip into the lead at 48-39 with 4:22 remaining. Following a pair of free throws from TaMiracle Taylor, and it was the Panthers trailing 50-44.
 
Wilson and Beacham would score the final six points of the quarter for the Maroon and Gold, allowing the Wildcats to lay claim to their third consecutive victory.
 
Since the beginning of the new calendar year, BCU holds a 7-3 record, including a two-point loss to Southern (La.) on the road.
 
The Wildcats defense limited the Panthers to 20 percent shooting from three-point range in the game. Meanwhile, BCU shot 40 percent from the floor, but just 3-of-14 from long range themselves.
 
Prairie View A&M was paced by Taylor with 15 points, followed by Rosenthal with 10 points, respectfully.
 
The Wildcats were led by Beacham's 12 points and five rebounds. Wilson collected her first double-double of the year with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Nia Jordan ended in double-figures scoring with 10 points and nine rebounds, falling just short of a double-double of her own.
 
Bethune-Cookman completes its Texas road trip Monday evening as the Cats travel to Texas Southern in Houston for a game scheduled to tip at 5 p.m. CT.
 
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