BOCA RATON, Fla. – Bethune-Cookman used 15 points each from Daimoni Dorsey and Kayla White as the Wildcats fell 78-49 to Florida Atlantic on Saturday afternoon inside Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena during a nonconference women's basketball contest in Boca Raton, Florida.
 
Trailing 29-6 after the opening quarter, Bethune-Cookman (1-3) battled back with 15 second quarter points behind the play of Kayla White and Janessa Kelley off the bench. White poured in seven of her 15 points during the second period, adding a 3-for-4 performance at the free throw line. Kelley, a freshman from Pompano Beach, Florida, added six points which included a three-pointer.
 
Florida Atlantic (3-1) led 45-21 at the half as Mya Perry tallied 13 points in the opening 20 minutes which included 3-for-5 effort from beyond the arc.
 
In the third quarter, Bethune-Cookman outscored the Owls, 18-14 to chip away at the lead.
 
With the Wildcats trailing 52-27, a Daimoni Dorsey three-pointer stemming from a B-CU fastbreak narrowed the deficit, followed moments later by Asianae Nicholson's putback layup off the miss of White. When a White layup driving to the basket was good, that allowed the Cats to cut the Owls' lead to 52-34, bringing the B-CU deficit under 20 for the first time since the 1:10 mark of the opening period.
 
A Shomari Phillips three-pointer from the corner trimmed the lead at 52-37 as B-CU completed a 10-0 run – the longest run of the day for the Maroon and Gold.
 
However, Kristina Godfrey turned in her own 4-0 run with a layup and a pair of free throws to help FAU hold a 59-39 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
 
FAU surged out to an insurmountable advantage in the opening 10 minutes of the game.
 
Perry accounted for 13 of the Owls' 29 opening quarter points, as the hosts shot 6 of 9 from long range with Maria Myklebust, Stefanie Ingram and Godfrey each getting into the act with a three-pointer, respectively. The Owls shot 45 percent from the field – and 66.7 percent from three-point territory, in the opening quarter.
 
Over the first six minutes, it would be FAU leading 20-4 – holding B-CU to just two field goals in that span, with the Owls scoring on five consecutive possessions, including two with second chance points off the offensive glass.
 
In the end, B-CU was limited to just 29 percent shooting from the floor, as FAU countered with a 45 percent touch – adding a 47.8 percent mark from three-point range. The Wildcats did manage to score 20 points off 25 FAU turnovers, and the bench turned in 30 points as well.
 
The FAU scoring was paced by Perry with 16 points, as teammate Erin Rodgers followed suit with 15 points. Emaya Lewis had eight rebounds. And it was Jada Moore supplying the assists with a game-high seven.
 
Bethune-Cookman received 15 points from Dorsey and White – including two (2) Dorsey three-pointers. Nicholson brought down a team-high seven rebounds, while White also recorded five steals on the day.
 
The Cats return home Tuesday, Nov. 19, when welcoming Trinity Baptist to Richard V., Moore Gymnasium for a matinee contest at 11 a.m.
 
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