DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Three different Wildcats tallied double digits scoring Saturday afternoon, led at the top by Brayon Freeman's 20 points, as Bethune-Cookman defeated visiting South Carolina State, 75-62 in nonconference men's basketball action inside Richard V. Moore Gymnasium in Daytona Beach, Florida.
 
Bethune-Cookman's Trey Thomas, one of 11 newcomers to the roster for Head Coach Reggie Theus, scored nine points in the opening half, as the former Hampton Pirate connected on Bethune-Cookman's only three-pointer of the opening stanza. Daniel Rouzan, a junior transfer from Manhattan, scored eight points.
 
After South Carolina State (2-3) took a 3-2 lead following Omar Croskey's three-pointer from the top of the key, Bethune-Cookman (1-3) went on an 11-3 run sparked by a Reggie Ward Jr. layup and Thomas' three-pointer from the right wing. Rouzan gathered a Kalil Camara missed layup and slotted it back off the glass, while Camara did collect two of B-CU's nine (9) second chance points on the day with a putback to give the Wildcats an 11-3 lead with 15:30 remaining in the opening half.
 
SCSU's McCarty posted a steal leading to Johnson's layup that kicked off an 11-2 Bulldogs run that saw the visitors take their second lead of the game just under eight minutes in.
 
A D'Shay Wright spinning basket in the paint for two of his four points in the contest was followed in the next SCSU possession by a quick Wilson Dubinsky pull-up three-pointer off the break. Wright would gather a Rouzan missed jumper allowing Jayden Johnson to score on the outlet pass and put the Bulldogs on top, 14-13. Rouzan answered on B-CU's next trip down the court, putting the Wildcats back up, 15-14 at the under-12 media timeout.
 
Gianni Hunt, a grad transfer from Cal State Northridge, would account for the next four B-CU points.
 
But Mitchell Taylor's basket in the paint and a pair of Drayton Jones free throws saw the visitors once again claim the lead, 20-19. Jones would add a turnaround jumper just inside the foul line to extend the lead, 22-19 before the Wildcats' Thomas and Hunt went back-to-back for baskets in consecutive possessions.
 
B-CU would finish the first half on a 6-0 run thanks in part to Thomas, Rouzan and Freeman all scoring on layups.
 
For the game, B-CU outscored the Bulldogs 40-28 in the paint.
 
Bethune-Cookman took a 31-25 lead into the locker at the half behind a 46.7 percent shooting performance from the floor, while the Bulldogs of S.C. State were held to just 34.5 percent from the field – and a 3 of 9 mark from three-point range.
 
The second half saw B-CU hold the Bulldogs to just 2-for-10 from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, the Cats went inside as they toed the line for 27 second half free throws, converting 22 of those attempts, respectfully.
 
After Freeman's three-point play was converted with the free throw off the foul of S.C. State's Croskey, B-CU grabbed a 42-31 lead with 16:12 remaining in the contest.
 
Only twice did the Wildcats lead fall under double digits the rest of the way.
 
Freeman, a transfer from Coastal Carolina and a native of Oxon Hill, Maryland, scored 18 points in the second half while going 10-for-11 at the charity stripe.
 
For the game, the Bulldogs, who entered the game shooting 38 percent from the three-point stripe, were held to just a 5 of 19 output. They were led in scoring by Jones (16), while teammates Dubinsky (13) and Croskey (12) also amassed double figures. Jones would go on to add seven rebounds, while Taylor provided his side with four assists.
 
Bethune-Cookman was anchored in scoring by Freeman's season-best 20 points, while Thomas followed with a season-high 17, and Ward poured in 13. Ward also picked up a career-high 15 rebounds – nine in the first half, to complete his first double-double of the season. Freeman also led B-CU with four assists, while it was Jesus Carralero Martin picking up three blocks.
 
The Wildcats are back in action Tuesday, Nov. 19, when traveling to Tulane in New Orleans for a game to be played as part of the upcoming Cancun Challenge. Tip-off time against the Green Wave is set for 7:30 p.m. ET.
 
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