DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Bethune-Cookman Women's Basketball opens the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) portion of the 2023-24 schedule this weekend when Florida A&M visits Richard V. Moore Gymnasium on Saturday, Jan. 6, at 2 p.m.
 
What: Game Fourteen
Who: Bethune-Cookman (9-4) vs. Florida A&M (1-10)
When: Saturday, Jan. 6, at 2 p.m.
Where: Daytona Beach, Fla. – Moore Gymnasium (1,000)
 
Watch: CatEye Network
Attend: Online Ticket Sales
Live Stats: Click Here
 
IN THE RANKINGS
▪ Bethune-Cookman is not ranked in this week's Associated Press Top 25
▪ Florida A&M 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.
 
FAN INFORMATION/PROMOTIONS
▪ Doors open one hour prior to tip-off at the North entrance of Richard V. Moore Gymnasium.
▪ The clear bag policy is in effect for all Bethune-Cookman Athletics events.
▪ Theme: Gold-Out
▪ All Bethune-Cookman fans are encouraged to wear GOLD to the game.
 
NEWS & NOTES
▪ Bethune-Cookman comes into the weekend having won five of its last six games, including a 60-58 victory in its last outing at Mercer.
▪ The Wildcats finished the month of December with a 5-2 record across the holiday month – the only losses coming against FIU and North Carolina A&T, respectively.
▪ BCU is outscoring opponents by a 12.5 points per game margin, averaging 69.8 points per contest in the process.
▪ Chanel Wilson is leading the Wildcats in scoring with an average of 13.1 points per game, pouring in a total of 170 points on the season thus far. Behind her are Kerrighan Dunn (9.8 ppg) and Kayla Clark (9.5 ppg) in scoring.
▪ The rebounding is supplied by Miami native Kalya Clark with 81 total boards (8.1 per game), as she also leads the team with nine blocked shots.
▪ With six nonconference Division I wins on the season, Head Coach Janell Crayton tied the most D-1 nonconference victories in a single season over the course of the past 15 years.
▪ Wilson also leads the Maroon and Gold with 48 assists.
▪ D'Shantae Edwards is second on the team with 30 steals while also handing out 22 assists.
▪ Bethune-Cookman has taken less than 10 free throws in a game just once this season – that being nine attempted last time out against Mercer.
 
RECAPPING BCU'S LAST GAME (at Mercer)
Chanel Wilson's driving layup with 4.3 seconds remaining lifted Bethune-Cookman to a 60-58 come-from-behind victory at Mercer at Hawkins Arena. After leading almost the entirety of the first three (3) quarters of play, Bethune-Cookman suddenly saw itself looking up at a 49-45 deficit heading into the fourth quarter. Mercer ended the third quarter on a 9-2 run, thanks in part to baskets coming from Stacie Jones in the paint, as well as free throws from Maria Serracanta.
 
Facing one of the tallest teams its seen all season, BCU was outscored 24-11 in the third period. But in the fourth quarter, Chanelle McDonald and Chanel Wilson took over for the visiting Wildcats. A Deja Williams putback jumper pushed the Mercer lead out to its largest of the game at 56-49 with 5:27 remaining in regulation. BCU's Wilson answered moments later with her fourth three-pointer of the afternoon, cutting the deficit back to four for the Wildcats. That jumper sparked a 7-0 run for BCU as McDonald connected on a jumper in the paint stemming from a shot clock violation charged to the Bears.
 
Another turnover was converted into a layup for the guests as McDonald's driving basket tied the game at 56-all with 2:37 remaining in the fourth quarter. Once again, it was Jones able to work herself behind the BCU defense and put her side back up by two (58-56). However, BCU graduate student guard Wilson – a native of Powder Springs, Georgia – answered for her team with a pull-up jumper just outside the paint to knot the game at 58-58. After turnovers from both teams in equal possessions, Mercer had a chance to step ahead with 15 seconds showing on the clock as Jones went to the foul line. She missed both free throws as D'Shantae Edwards hauled in the rebound off the second miss. That set the stage for Wilson to go one-on-one with Mercer's Briana Peguero and knifing to the hole for the game-winning basket.
 
In the fourth quarter, Wilson was a perfect 3-for-3 from the field, while McDonald was 4 of 5 shooting, as the pair combined for all 15 of the team's points in the final stanza. Bethune-Cookman led 34-25 at the half behind the play of Kayla Clark and Kerrighan Dunn. Facing a larger lineup from the Bears, Miami native Clark used a mid-range jumper for five first half points. The Wildcats scored 20 points in the opening quarter behind point guard Edwards as she accumulated six first half points to go along with three steals. Dunn led all BCU players with nine (9) first half points – seven of those coming in the second quarter.
 
On the day, BCU limited the Bears to just 3 of 7 shooting from long range, including slowing the hot-shooting Peguero to just 10 points. The Cats were able to get back to the foul line in the contest, converting 73.3 percent of those opportunities. But it was the points in the paint that stood out as the Cats outscored the taller Bears by a 28-26 advantage in the post. BCU also turned 19 Mercer miscues into 15 points, while the Wildcats bench outscored the Bears 15-13 in that department.
 
Mercer was led on the day by Jones with 14 points, followed in double-figures scoring by Summah Evans (12) and Peguero (10). Evans led the rebounding efforts of the Bears with eight. BCU was charged in scoring by Wilson with 18 points, adding to her team-high matching six rebounds and two steals. Daimoni Dorsey also had six rebounds off the bench, while teammate O'Mariyah Tucker registered six boards of her own. Edwards finished with a pair of assists and five steals.
 
BCU VS. FLORIDA A&M SERIES
▪ Florida A&M leads the all-time series between the two schools by a 54-41 count dating back to 1977.
▪ Bethune-Cookman has won 12 of the last 13 games against their in-state opponent coming into the weekend.
▪ The Wildcats have won the last four outings against the Rattlers, respectfully.
▪ BCU is 5-1 in the last six games at Moore Gymnasium.
▪ Last season, BCU won the two games against FAMU by an aggregate scoreline of 165-119, with an average victory of 23 points.
 
SCOUTING FLORIDA A&M
▪ Florida A&M comes into the SWAC-opener with a 1-10 overall record on the campaign. The Wildcats and Rattlers have two common opponents in Florida and Jacksonville – with both teams collecting a win over the Dolphins as a nonconference opponent, respectfully.
▪ The Rattlers are averaging 56.7 points per game, while the opponents are allowing 75.3 points per contest.
▪ As a team, FAMU is shooting 38.4 percent from the field, while knocking down 34 percent of its shots from three-point range.
▪ The Rattlers are registering nine steals per game on defense, while opponents are being forced into 19.4 turnovers per game.
▪ Ahriahna Grizzle leads the FAMU offensive attack with 17.9 points per game, while also shooting 47.9 percent overall from the floor. She is also knocking down 76.7 percent from the free throw line.
▪ Grizzle also leads the team in steals (21), blocks (6) and assists (30).
▪ Rebounds are supplied by Nashani Gilbert with an average of 4.5 per game (45 total). She also scores at a 7.8 points per game clip.
▪ FAMU also uses Ivet Subirats with 5.9 points per game to go along with a team second-most 18 assists and second-highest 20 steals.
 
UP NEXT
Bethune-Cookman returns home for a SWAC weekend battle against opponents from Grambling State (Jan. 13) and Southern University (Jan. 15) inside Moore Gymnasium.
 
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