DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Kayla Clark and Asianae Nicholson each registered double-doubles for Bethune-Cookman on Thursday evening as a late Jackson State run saw the visiting Tigers defeat the Wildcats 59-53 at Richard V. Moore Gymnasium in Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Women's Basketball. For Nicholson, it was the second time playing against her former head coach – Margaret Richards – from her time at Alabama A&M.
 

In a tight opening quarter, Bethune-Cookman (7-17, 4-8 SWAC) established an early advantage, taking a 15-12 lead over Jackson State after the first quarter of play. B-CU junior forward Asianae Nicholson led the Wildcats' offensive effort with six points on 3-for-6 shooting while dominating the glass with five rebounds. The Wildcats' defense forced seven Jackson State turnovers, eventually converting them into seven points.
 
Bethune-Cookman struck first when Nicholson opened the scoring with a jump shot off an assist from Kayla Clark, which would prove to be the them early-on for the Maroon and Gold. Clark, who finished the quarter with four points on perfect 2-of-2 shooting, provided a steady presence with two assists.
 
After Jackson State (12-11, 10-2 SWAC) mounted a 9-2 run to take a 10-4 lead, the Wildcats quickly responded with a run of their own. Sparked by transition play, B-CU orchestrated a 9-0 run of its own. Chanelle McDonald contributed three points, including a crucial free throw late in the quarter to help secure the lead. The Wildcats' bench made its presence felt as Camerah Langston provided a spark with two points and a key block, helping the hosts establish control in the paint, where they outscored Jackson State 10-6 throughout the opening 10 minutes.
 
SECOND QUARTER
Bethune-Cookman's Clark led a strong second-quarter performance, scoring seven of her team-high 15 points in the second stanza, as the Wildcats took a 28-23 lead into the locker room at the half.
 
Clark opened the quarter with a momentum-building jumper off an assist from Nicholson, pushing B-CU's lead to 17-12. The Wildcats' defense immediately capitalized, with Nicholson forcing a turnover that led to Daimoni Dorsey's fast-break jumper, extending the lead to seven points. After a Laila Lancaster block, Clark's turnaround jumper in the paint pushed BCU's advantage to 21-12, prompting Jackson State to call a timeout.
 
After Nicholson converted a pair of shots at the charity stripe, Bethune-Cookman established a 23-12 with 6:08 remaining. However, moments later, JSU's Jaileyah Cotton responded with back-to-back three-pointers to cut into the lead, 24-18. Despite the Tigers' push, McDonald maintained B-CU's momentum with a putback layup off her own miss. The Wildcats' defense held firm in the closing minutes, and Clark punctuated the quarter with a driving layup at the 30-second mark to secure the five-point halftime advantage for the hosts.
 
THIRD QUARTER
For the first time all night, JSU outscored the Cats 15-12 in the third period, cutting into the deficit before entering the final 10 minutes of play. For B-CU, it was the first time the Wildcats had led JSU after three periods since Feb. 19, 2024, in Jackson.
 
Clark poured in four points and ripped down five rebounds while adding three assists. Her pull-up jumper with 2:25 remaining pushed the Wildcats' lead back to seven at 40-33. Teammate McDonald converted both of her field goal attempts for four points, including an important jumper that extended the B-CU lead at 35-25 with 7:11 left in the period.
 
However, the visiting Tigers closed the quarter on a momentum-shifting run, highlighted by Leianya Massenat's five quick points in the final 1:15, including a three-pointer that trimmed B-CU's lead to 40-38 heading into the fourth quarter. Janessa Kelley, who knocked down a three-pointer early in the quarter to push B-CU's lead to eight, was limited to just 1-of-4 from the field in the period.
 
FOURTH QUARTER
JSU's Taleah Dilworth ignited the visitors' offense, draining a three-pointer at the 8:00 mark to push the Tigers' lead to 45-40, part of her game-high matching 15 points on the night. B-CU's McDonald tried to keep the Wildcats within striking distance, converting a layup to cut the deficit to 45-42 with 7:31 remaining. However, JSU's Tierney Kelsey responded with back-to-back three-pointers, increasing the Tigers' advantage to nine points at 53-44 with 5:53 left.
 
Nicholson, who finished with 13 points, kept the Wildcats' hopes alive with several crucial baskets down the stretch. Her jump shot with just 25 seconds remaining brought B-CU within two points at 55-53, capping a late 5-0 run. But, once again, it would be Massenat responding to help seal the victory at the free-throw line, calmly sinking both shots with 23 seconds left. The Tigers' defense held firm in the final possessions, forcing a late turnover to preserve the win.
 
The Wildcats' connected on 35.7percent from the field, but just 16.7 percent from long range in the final stanza. Meanwhile, JSU countered with a 3-for-5 touch from three-point territory in the fourth quarter, including two alone from Kelsey.
 

The Tigers were led in scoring by Dilworth's 15 points and three assists – as she finished 6 of 8 at the foul line. Massenat supplied her side with 12 points – including two (2) three-pointers, while Cotton finished with 11 points and four rebounds.
 
B-CU was topped offensively by Clark's 15 points, adding 11 rebounds to complete the double-double, as well as a career-best nine assists and two steals. Nicholson turned in her fifth consecutive double-double with 13 points and 10 boards, adding four assists and three steals as well. McDonald rounded out the double-digit scorers for the Maroon and Gold with 13 points on 5 of 8 shooting from the floor, in addition to collecting seven rebounds. Lancaster finished with a season-best three blocked shots.
 

Bethune-Cookman hosts SWAC opponent Alcorn State on Saturday, Feb. 15 at 3 p.m., for Greek & Organization Day, as well as Pictona Day at Moore Gymnasium.
 
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