BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – No. 6 seed Bethune-Cookman will take on No. 3 seed Alabama State in the opening round of the 2023 Cricket Southwestern Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Tournament presented by Starry on Thursday, March 9, at 11 a.m. CT. The event is being housed at Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Alabama.
 
After defeating Florida A&M last weekend, Bethune-Cookman (11-17, 10-8) earned a trip to the SWAC Basketball Tournament. This is the first time Head Coach Janell Crayton and her staff are embarking upon the SWAC Tournament, turning around a 5-13 league record from 2021-22, into a 10-8 conference mark in 2022-23 and a berth in this year's field of eight in Birmingham.
 
2023 SWAC Regular Season Champion Jackson State enters the tournament as the No. 1 seed after finishing the regular season 17-1 in league play.
 
The 2023 SWAC Women's Basketball Tournament bracket can be viewed here.
 
What: Game Twenty-Nine (SWAC Tournament)
Who: No. 6 Bethune-Cookman vs. No. 3 Alabama State
When: Thursday, March 9, 2023, at 11 a.m. CT
Where: Birmingham, Ala. – Bartow Arena (8,508)
 
Watch: ESPN+
Attend: Online Ticket Sales
Stats: Click Here
 

Keep up with everything Bethune-Cookman Women's Basketball this year by following the Wildcats social media platforms. You can follow @BCU_WBB on Instagram and @BCUWBB on Twitter.
 

March 8 – Game #1: No. 2 Alabama A&M vs. No. 7 Arkansas-Pine Bluff (11 a.m. CT)
March 8 – Game #2: No. 1 Jackson State vs. No. 8 Grambling State (5:30 p.m. CT)
March 9 – Game #3: No. 3 Alabama State vs. No. 6 Bethune-Cookman (11 a.m. CT)
March 9 – Game #4: No. 4 Southern vs. No. 5 Prairie View A&M (5:30 p.m.)
March 10 – Game #5: Winner of Game #1 vs. Winner of Game #3 (11 a.m. CT)
March 10 – Game #6: Winner of Game #3 vs. Winner of Game #4 (5:30 p.m. CT)
March 11 – Game #7: Women's Basketball Championship Game (1 p.m. CT)

 
Head Coach Janell Crayton and the Wildcats finished the regular season 11-17 overall, adding five wins to their CV from a season ago. She also turned around a 5-13 SWAC record from the 2021-22 season into a 10-8 mark in league play during the 2022-23 campaign.
 

• Bethune-Cookman defeated Florida A&M 80-69 in its last contest at Moore Gymnasium last weekend
• Chanel Wilson was named SWAC Newcomer of the Year, as well as being named to the All-SWAC First Team
• Wilson ended the regular season as one of the top scorers in the league with an average of 16.8 points per game
• Wilson was also among the top 10 players in the league for assists, having accumulated 67 on the season
• D'Shantae Edwards averages 4.1 rebounds per game while shooting at a 36 percent clip from the field
• Kayla Clark leads the Wildcats with 214 rebounds (7.9 rpg) and shooting 42.8 percent from the floor

 

Alabama State enters the tournament as the No. 3 seed after finishing the 2022-23 regular season with a record of 15-14 overall, and a 12-6 mark in SWAC play. The Hornets split a pair of meetings with the Wildcats this season, including BCU being on the positive end of a 69-66 score in Daytona Beach, Florida back on January 28. The Hornets have lost their last two games entering the tournament, but had won six straight prior to those performances.
 

• Alabama State lost to Grambling State 62-60 away from home in their last contest
• The Hornets defeated BCU 74-71 in triple overtime on February 20
• Jayla Crawford leads the team in three-point shooting at 33.8 percent, connecting on 45-of-133 shots from long range
• Ayana Emmanuel was named SWAC Player of the Year, averaging 16.9 points per game
• Joining Emmanuel on the ALL-SWAC First Team was Jayla Crawford

 


Bethune-Cookman's Nia Jordan scored 19 points, but it would be Alabama State outlasting Bethune-Cookman 74-71 in triple overtime at Dunn-Oliver Acadome.
 
Bethune-Cookman held a 40-38 lead after three quarters of play, thanks in part to a Nia Jordan layup with seconds remaining in the period. The visiting Wildcats extended their lead at 43-38 just moments into the final quarter of regulation as Jordan knocked down a jumper in the paint and proceeded to finish the three-point play with the free throw conversion. Alabama State responded with a 7-0 run from the duo of Ayana Emmanuel and Jayla Crawford to take a 46-43 lead with over seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
 
The lead would change hands four times during the final seven minutes of regulation. But it would be Chanel Wilson – one of the league's most prolific scoring threats, fouling out for BCU in the fourth quarter that would be key later. Cordasia Harris' layup off the assist from Crawford allowed the Hornets a 55-53 lead with 1:11 remaining. Bethune-Cookman's Morgan Beacham would send the game into overtime with her made jumper just inside the foul line with 14 seconds remaining, knotting the game at 55-all.
 
In the first OT, BCU stepped out in front first at 60-55 when Kayla Clark converted a putback layup, followed by a Beacham jumper in the paint – including the free throw to finish the old-fashioned three-point play. With the Wildcats up 61-57, Crawford connected on a three-pointer and then a jumper from the elbow to put the Hornets on top 62-61 with 1:27 remaining. Jordan turned for a jumper in the paint to help the Maroon and Gold reclaim the lead 63-62, before ASU's Emmanuel hit one-of-two at the charity stripe to send the game into double overtime tied 63-63.
 
Neither team could find the shooting touch in the second overtime period, with both sides scoring just two points each, respectfully. Jordan put in a jumper, while ASU used a Crawford layup with 38 seconds remaining to send the game into a third overtime and the score deadlocked 65-65. BCU once again took the lead first in the third overtime period, this time with yet another Jordan jumper to put the Maroon and Gold up 67-65. ASU used a free throw from Shmya Ward to half the deficit before teammate Emmanuel toed the line and knocked down both free throws to give the hosts the lead at 68-67 with 2:08 left.
 
Ward would get inside for another layup to extend the lead at 70-67 for the Hornets with under a minute to play. Beacham answered for the Cats with two free throws, pulling the visitors closer at 70-69 with 36 seconds showing on the clock. But again, it would be Ward knifing through the paint for a layup to extend the Hornets lead at 72-69. And again, it would be Beacham converting both shots from the charity stripe to pull her side within one at 72-71.
 
A foul by BCU allowed Crawford to toe the line and connect on both shots to seal the win for the Hornets.
 
Jordan led the Wildcats in scoring with 19 points and 10 rebounds – her third double-double of the campaign. Meanwhile, Kayla Clark teamed with Chanel Wilson to score 13 points each, while Clark registered a double-double with 11 rebounds – her third double-double of the season. It was Beacham finishing with 10 points for BCU.

 

If successful in defeating Alabama State, Bethune-Cookman would take on the winner of No. 2 Alabama A&M versus No. 7 Arkansas-Pine Bluff on March 10, at 11 a.m., in the semifinals of the SWAC Tournament.
 
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