DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Fresh off the road from Mississippi, Bethune-Cookman Women's Basketball welcomes Alabama A&M and Alabama State to Richard V. Moore Gymnasium for a key pair of Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) games which includes Basketball Homecoming Weekend.
 

What: Game Twenty
Who: Bethune-Cookman (6-13, 3-4) vs. Alabama A&M (12-7, 5-2)
When: Thursday, Jan. 30, at 7 p.m.
Where: Daytona Beach, Fla. – Richard V. Moore Gymnasium (1,000)
 
Watch: CatEye Network
Attend: Online Ticket Sales
Live Stats: Click Here
 
What: Game Twenty-One
Who: Bethune-Cookman vs. Alabama State
When: Saturday, Feb. 1, at 3 p.m.
Where: Daytona Beach, Fla. – Richard V. 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
▪ Alabama A&M is not ranked in this week's Associated Press Top 25
▪ Alabama State 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 X/Twitter.
 

▪ Bethune-Cookman is 4-1 at home this season, including back-to-back wins in the Wildcats last two outings inside Moore Gym against Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Grambling State, respectively.
▪ The Wildcats are scoring 61.2 points per game, with the opponent scoring 63.9 per game, respectfully.
▪ The B-CU defense is third-best in the league by allowing just 63.9 points per game, and tops the league in opponent field goal percentage (.393).
▪ With 10.6 rebounds per game, Asianae Nicholson is third in the league for rebounds, while also sitting eighth in the league in scoring (12.2 ppg).
▪ Freshman guard Janessa Kelley is shooting 28.4 percent from three-point range, knocking down 23 three-pointers on the year.
▪ Kayla White owns the fourth-highest free throw percentage on the team with 84.6 percent, despite missing the last two games with an injury.
▪ Camerah Langstan scored a season-best nine points in her last outing at Alcorn State, including knocking down the first three-pointer of her career and finishing 2-for-2 at the foul line.
▪ The Cats are 5-0 this season when they lead entering the fourth quarter.
 

RECAPPING B-CU'S LAST GAME (al Alcorn State)
Bethune-Cookman received 16 points from Asianae Nicholson as the Wildcats dropped a 68-58 decision away to Alcorn State in SWAC Women's Basketball play at the Davey L. Whitney Complex in Lorman, Mississippi.
 
Alcorn never trailed, building an early 9-0 behind early shooting struggles from the visitors. The game started slowly for both teams, with Alcorn State holding a slim 9-4 lead after the first quarter. The Braves shot just 18.2 percent (2-11) while Bethune-Cookman struggled shooting from the field, connecting on just 8.3 percent (1-12) of their attempts in the opening period.
 
Alcorn outscored the Wildcats 20-16 in the second quarter, extending their lead to 29-20 at halftime. The quarter was marked by improved offensive efficiency from both teams after a low-scoring first period. B-CU shot 63.6 percent from the floor, as the Cats scored eight points in the paint and used 10 points off the bench. Camerah Langston provided a spark off the bench, scoring seven points including her first three-pointer of the season and going a perfect 2-for-2 at the fere throw line in the period.
 
Bethune-Cookman got going in the third quarter after falling behind 36-28 with 6:13 remaining in the stanza. The Wildcats went on a 6-0 run with the help of Cassandra Hawthorne pushing her way to the basket for a layup, as well as Asianae Nicholson putting back a Hawthorne miss off the glass to bring the Maroon and Gold to within 36-30. The lead became just two (36-34) when Hawthorne sank a pair of free throws with 4:01 showing on the clock.
 
Burt it would be the Braves once again answering and extending the lead out to eight when Dalayja Hurt-Floyd hit a pair of free throws, and All-SWAC performer Destiny Brown put in two of her eight points in the game to push the Alcorn lead at 45-37. B-CU used a Janessa Kelley jumper in the paint to cut the lead to 47-41 at the end of the quarter.
 
Alcorn gradually extended its advantage, leading by as many as 12 points late in the fourth quarter. The Wildcats were forced into eight turnovers during the period, as the Braves turned those into 10 points. Nicholson scored six points in the period, connecting on both shots from the field and from the free throw line.
 
The difference on the day came at the free throw line, where Alcorn attempted 36 free throws to Bethune-Cookman's 20. Nakia Cheatham finished with a game-high 19 points and six rebounds, adding two blocks in the game. Also touching double digits was Kiarra Henderson with 14 points and six steals. Bethune-Cookman used 16 points and nine rebounds from Nicholson, as the Ohio native finished 6 of 7 from the field and 4-for-4 from the foul line. Kelley and Langston each totaled nine points apiece as well.
 

BCU VS. ALABAMA A&M SERIES
▪ Alabama A&M leads the all-time series against Bethune-Cookman, 6-3.
▪ Since B-CU joined the SWAC, the Bulldogs have won five of the six meetings between the two sides.
▪ Last season, the Cats dropped a 76-72 overtime decision in Huntsville, Alabama, as well as a 63-58 setback at home.
▪ AAMU has won the last three meetings, consecutively.
▪ The last win for the Cats in the series came via a 55-46 win at home on Jan. 30, 2023.
▪ Bethune-Cookman won two meetings previously in the series back on Jan. 5, 2000, as well as Dec. 14, 2004 – both games occurring in Daytona Beach.
 

SCOUTING ALABAMA A&M
▪ Alabama A&M is second in the SWAC standings coming into the weekend, sporting a 12-7 overall mark, as well as a 5-2 record in league play.
▪ The Bulldogs have won three of their last four outings, including a 68-59 win over Prairie View A&M in their last contest in Huntsville.
▪ Kalia Walker leads the Bulldogs with an average of 14.1 points per game, while shooting 35.4 percent from the field – including 36.1 percent from three-point territory. In all, she leads the Bulldogs in seven (7) different categories.
▪ Both Lauryn Pendleton (10.8 ppg) and Alisha Wilson (10.6 ppg) are second and third on the team in scoring, respectively.
▪ Wilson tops the team in rebounding with 189 (9.9 rpg), followed by Jaiyah Harris-Smith with 64 (3.4 rpg).
▪ The Dogs are averaging 64.3 points per game, while shooting 38.3 percent from the field as a unit.
▪ From the outside, AAMU is shooting 28.3 percent, including 29.1 percent from Mailyn Wilkerson who leads the team with 32 three-pointers.
▪ Kourtney Rittenberry is shooting 47.1 percent from the field for the Bulldogs, while Harris-Smith is the orchestrator of the offense with 74 assists.
 

BCU VS. ALABAMA STATE SERIES
▪ Alabama State leads the series against Bethune-Cookman by a 6-3 count.
▪ The Wildcats and Hornets split last year's meetings, with B-CU claiming an 84-43 win in Daytona Beach.
▪ The teams played a triple overtime game two seasons ago in Montgomery, Alabama, with the Hornets taking a 74-71 score line on Feb. 20, 2023.
▪ Since joining the league, B-CU is just 2-5 against the Hornets.
▪ The Cats claimed a win in the first game of the series by an 80-61 decision on Dec. 28, 2002, in Daytona Beach.
 

SCOUTING ALABAMA STATE
▪ Alabama State is scoring just 48.3 points per game, but allowing just over 74 points per contest by the opposition
▪ The Hornets shoot 31.3 percent from the floor, and the opposition shoots at a 44.1 percent clip
▪ ASU pulls down an average of 36.4 rebounds per game, passing out 8.4 assists per contest
▪ Cordasia Harris leads the Cats with 11.6 points per game, also averaging 8.7 rebounds per contest with 19 steals and a team-high 20 blocks
▪ The Hornets lean on Kaitlyn Bryant with 7.3 points per game, as she also owns 48 rebounds (2.5 rpg) and 16 assists
▪ Assists are provided by Taylor Smith (37) and Amari Franklin (32), respectfully
▪ Harris is averaging 11.4 points in league play
▪ As a team, the Hornets are turning the ball over an average of 21.4 times per game
 

Bethune-Cookman travels to Texas in order to face Texas Southern (Feb. 6) and Prairie View A&M (Feb. 8) for a crucial "Lone Star State" showdown in SWAC play.
 
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