MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Three different Wildcats entered the double figures scoring column Thursday evening in helping Bethune-Cookman defeat Alabama State 56-53 inside Dunn-Oliver Acadome during a Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Women's Basketball contest in Montgomery, Alabama.
 

FIRST QUARTER
Bethune-Cookman (9-17, 6-8 SWAC) dominated the first quarter, building a commanding 23-4 lead in holding Alabama State to just 11.8 percent shooting from the field. After falling behind early-on, the Wildcats quickly responded with an 11-0 run through free throws by Chanelle McDonald and Janessa Kelley.
 
Though the Cats shot just 5-for-13 from the floor in the opening stanza, B-CU did turn in a blistering 11 of 12 performance at the foul line. Kelley, a freshman from Pompano Beach, Florida, would contribute a 6-for-6 effort at the charity stripe, while classmate Mya Johnson was 2-for-2 herself.
 
Alabama State (6-20, 4-10 SWAC) tallied just two field goals in the opening quarter, those coming by way of Kaitlyn Bryant and Ashley Gray. B-CU would stake a 23-4 lead heading into the second quarter, outscoring the Hornets 11-0 in bench points.
 
SECOND QUARTER
B-CU forward Johnson opened the quarter with a layup assisted by fellow freshman Jordan Brooks, immediately extending BCU's lead to 21 points. In all, Brooks would tally four assists in the second quarter alone. Asianae Nicholson, owning the nation's fourth-most double-doubles, contributed five points on 2-of-4 shooting while dominating the glass with five rebounds. Nicholson's free throw at the 8:34 mark pushed the Wildcats' advantage to 24 points, their largest lead of the quarter.
 
The defensive tandem of Brooks and Nicholson disrupted the Hornets offensive flow, with Brooks recording two steals that led to a fast break layup by Nicholson at the 7:08 mark. The sequence highlighted B-CU's 7-0 scoring run midway through the period that culminated in the Wildcats building their largest lead of the game at 30 points when Kelley knocked down a three-pointer off a Daimoni Dorsey assist with 3:31 remaining.
 
ASU found rhythm late in the quarter, with Amari Franklin hitting a pair of three-pointers in the final 72 seconds to trim B-CU's lead to 22 points by the halftime buzzer. The Hornets' 6-0 scoring run to close the period trimmed the Bethune-Cookman lead at 38-16 as the teams headed to the locker room at the break.
 
THIRD QUARTER
Bethune-Cookman struggled offensively in the third quarter, with the Maroon and Gold scoring just six points in the period as the host Hornets narrowed the gap to 14 points (44-30) heading into the final frame. The Wildcats, were forced into shooting just 14.3 percent (2-of-14) from the field in the third quarter, including 0-for-3 from beyond the arc. Nicholson provided the lone offensive spark for Bethune-Cookman, scoring five of the team's six points while grabbing seven rebounds in the period.
 
ASU gradually chipped away at the deficit behind improved shooting (31.6 percent) and ball movement. The Hornets outscored B-CU 14-6 in the period, narrowing what had been a 24-point deficit to a more manageable 14-point margin.
 
Hornets leading scorer on the season – Cordasia Harris, scored just three points in the stanza, but she ripped down six boards in helping her side outscore the Cats 8-4 in the post. Additionally, the Cats were forced into four turnovers, as Bryant scored four points and teammate Franklin added three of her won for the Hornets.
 
FOURTH QUARTER
In a dramatic fourth quarter, Bethune-Cookman withstood a furious comeback attempt from Alabama State to escape with a narrow 56-53 victory. The Wildcats entered the final period with a commanding 44-30 advantage, but saw their lead dwindle to just a single point in the closing minutes before clutch free throws secured the win.
 
ASU outscored the visitors 23-12 in the fourth quarter while shooting at a 50 percent clip from the field compared to Bethune-Cookman's 25 percent effort. The Hornets' forced seven Wildcat turnovers that they converted into nine points. The momentum shift began early in the fourth when Bryant's three-pointer cut B-CU's lead to single digits at 44-35 with 8:39 remaining. Former B-CU forward O'Mariyah Tucker provided a spark off the bench for ASU, scoring five points in just over a minute of play midway through the period. Her layup and subsequent free throw at the 6:10 mark narrowed the deficit to seven points.
 
The Hornets continued their charge when Bryant converted a steal into a fast-break layup with 4:56 remaining, pulling ASU within three points and forcing Bethune-Cookman to call timeout. Franklin connected on two free throws at the 4:23 mark to make it a one-point game at 45-44, completing a 9-0 run for her side.
 
Nicholson momentarily stemmed the tide with a layup, but ASU responded when Alanah Pooler scored back-to-back baskets. Her layup with 1:54 remaining again brought the Hornets within two points at 52-50. The Cats' Johnson put in a layup and subsequent free throw to complete the three-point play and give Bethune-Cookman some breathing room at 52-48. However, right on cue, Bryant responded for the hosts with two free throws of her own to trim the lead back to one with 45 seconds remaining.
 
After a B-CU timeout, Alabama State's defense forced a missed jumper from Kayla White, giving the Hornets possession with a chance to take their first lead of the game. However, Bryant's driving layup with seven seconds left rimmed out, and Kayla Clark secured the defensive rebound for the Wildcats.
 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
ASU was led on the night by Bryant's 13-point outburst, followed in double-digits scoring by Franklin (11). Harris supplied her team with nine rebounds and three blocked shots.
 
B-CU was paced in scoring by Nicholson with 14, while she finished her seventh consecutive double-double performance with 14 rebounds (six offensive) and three blocks. Kelley posted 12 points with two (2) three-pointers, while teammate McDonald had 10 points and four boards. Brooks supplied four assists, and it was White handing out four in her first game back in more than two weeks being out with injury.
 


The Wildcats travel to Alabama A&M to complete their Alabama road swing on Saturday, Feb. 22, at 3 p.m. ET (2 p.m. CT).
 
Follow Bethune-Cookman Women's Basketball on X/Twitter (@BCUWBB) and Instagram (@BCU_WBB) for all of the latest news and updates. For all Bethune-Cookman Athletics news, follow us on Twitter (@BCUAthletics), Instagram (@BCU_Athletics) and BCUathletics.com.