CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Bethune-Cookman put a serious scare into the 2019 National Champion Virginia Cavaliers, but a first-half lead evaporated quickly as the Cats dropped the road test, 59-41, Thursday night at John Paul Jones Arena.
FIRST HALF
Bethune-Cookman (2-7) took command out of the gate, jumping in front of Virginia (6-4, 0-1 ACC), 12-3, in a methodical first 12 minutes of play. Each B-CU starter chipped in a basket on the way to the early lead.
The Cavalier fortunes began to shift as Virginia rode an 11-2 run to a tie ballgame at 14-14 with just four minutes to play in the first half.
A
Brayon Freeman three ball, and a steal and score put the Cats up 21-18 as the low-scoring first half came to a close. Both squads shot just 28 percent from the floor, as well as a combined 1-4 clip at the free throw line.
SECOND HALF
The Wildcats showed no signs of slowing down out of the break as
Jesus Carralero Martin's free throws gave the cats a seven-point advantage at 25-18 through the first minute of second-half play.
After the first media timeout of the half, the Cavaliers' Isaac McKneely put up a three to tie things at 27-27. Virginia took its first lead of the night at 30-29 on an Elijah Saunders three with 15 to play.
The two teams continued to battle, but B-CU's final lead of the ballgame came at the 10-minute mark as they led, 37-34.
The Wildcats managed just three more points in the game as Virginia outlasted Bethune-Cookman, riding a 25-3 run to the finish line to avoid the upset and close out a 59-41 win at home.
- Brayon Freeman was just a point off the game lead in scoring, posting 14 points on 6-19 shooting along with five rebounds, two assists, and three steals. Freeman has scored in double figures in all but one game this year - he has scored 94 total points in his last four games combined.
- No other Wildcat scored in double figures in the game. Reggie Ward Jr. had seven.
- Ward Jr. and Jesus Carralero Martin each grabbed seven boards. Carralero Martin swiped three steals and two blocks.
- After the 28 percent shooting clip in the first half, Virginia connected on 15 of 25 second half shots (60%), including 4-8 from three.
- 41 points scored for B-CU is the lowest total in a game for the Wildcats in the Reggie Theus era, the lowest since Bethune-Cookman joined the SWAC, and the lowest period since Dec. 21, 2016, when B-CU fell 71-41 to UCF in Orlando. The last time the Wildcats scored fewer than 41 was Nov. 17, 2014, when B-CU dropped a 49-39 contest to Arizona State in the CBE Hall of Fame Classic in Tempe, Arizona.
The Wildcats will take a quick breather before another tough non-conference test at West Virginia on Saturday, Dec. 14. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. in Morgantown.
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