DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Despite double-digit scoring from Kayla Clark, Chanelle McDonald and Asianae Nicholson, Bethune-Cookman Women's Basketball suffered a 62-54 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) defeat on Saturday afternoon to Southern University at Richard V. Moore Gymnasium.
 

FIRST QUARTER
Southern University (16-13, 14-2 SWAC) used a strong defensive presence early, holding Bethune-Cookman scoreless from the field throughout the entire first quarter en route to a 14-5 lead at the end of the period. The Jaguars set the tone defensively, forcing Bethune-Cookman into a 0-for-13 clip from the field in the opening period. The Wildcats' only points came from the free throw line.
 
Southern's Tionna Lidge opened the scoring with a layup at the 8:51 mark on an assist from former Wildcat point guard D'Shantae Edwards. After Bethune-Cookman tied the game at 2-2 on a pair of free throws by freshman guard Janessa Kelley following a technical foul on Southern's Aniya Gourdine, the Jaguars seized control. Soniyah Reed connected on a three-pointer with 4:56 remaining to push Southern's advantage to 7-4. Jocelyn Tate then scored five consecutive points to help extend the lead to 10-4 with 4:40 left in the quarter.
 
The Jaguars closed the quarter on a 4-1 run, capped by Tate's fast-break layup with 24 seconds remaining off an assist from Aleighyah Fontenot to secure the nine-point advantage.
 
SECOND QUARTER
After falling behind by 14 points when Southern's Fontenot drained a three-pointer – her first of the afternoon, with 6:27 left on the clock, the Wildcats' Kayla Clark took charge for the Maroon and Gold. The Miami native scored eight of her 13 points for the game in the second quarter, going on to pull down three offensive rebounds and recording three steals. Clark's impact was particularly felt in the closing minutes when she converted a crucial offensive rebound into a basket with just eight seconds left, reducing Southern's lead to six points at halftime, 27-21.
 
The Wildcats' defensive intensity created problems for Southern (La.) throughout the quarter, forcing three turnovers. Bethune-Cookman dominated inside, outscoring Southern 8-4 in the paint and 6-2 in second-chance points during the period. After shooting 50 percent from the field in the opening stanza including 2-of-5 from three-point range, the visitors were led by Soniyah Reed's five points in the second quarter. Reed connected on both of her field goal attempts, including a three-pointer with 2:06 remaining that momentarily halted Bethune-Cookman's momentum.
 
THIRD QUARTER
The Jaguars, who entered the quarter with a 27-21 lead, saw their advantage fluctuate between seven and two points during an evenly matched period that featured identical 5-of-12 shooting performances from both teams. Bethune-Cookman's Chanelle McDonald provided the offensive spark for the Wildcats, scoring nine points in the quarter while drawing five fouls on an aggressive Southern defense. McDonald went 5-for-6 from the charity stripe and added a pair of jumpers in the paint to help the hosts outscore Southern 19-17 in the period.
 
Southern's offense was sparked by DaKiyah Sanders, who contributed five points including a timely three-pointer with 6:35 remaining that pushed the Jaguars' lead to 34-27. Fontenot added a three-pointer of her own with 2:05 left, restoring a five-point cushion after Bethune-Cookman had cut the deficit to two. The Wildcats made a concerted effort to attack the basket, resulting in multiple trips to the free-throw line. The Cats would convert 8-of-11 free throws.
 
The Jaguars took a 44-40 lead heading into the final 10 minutes of action.
 
FOURTH QUARTER
Sky Castro proved instrumental for Southern in the early minutes of the fourth, scoring seven consecutive points including back-to-back layups and three free throws to push the Jaguars' advantage to 51-42 with 7:54 showing on the clock.
 
Bethune-Cookman responded with Asianae Nicholson who scored six of her 11 points in the contest in the fourth quarter alone. The Wildcats trimmed the deficit to five points on two occasions, including at the 1:25 mark when Nicholson converted a layup off a steal to make it 59-54. For the South Euclid, Ohio native, that basket would solidify her double-double – as she sits second in the nation in that category.
 
Southern's defense stiffened in the crucial final moments, with Lidge tallying three blocks. The Jaguars sealed the victory at the free-throw line, where they connected on 10 of 13 attempts in the quarter alone. Tate hit four free throws down the stretch, including two with 39 seconds remaining to push the lead back to seven points.
 


The visiting Jaguars were led offensively with 12 points each off the bench from Tate and Castro, helping the Jaguars to a commanding 39-10 advantage in bench points. Reed provided her side with 11 points and two blocks. Tate also registered eight rebounds.
 
B-CU was led in scoring by Clark with 13 points, as she also brought down eight rebounds and four steals. McDonald had 10 points for the Cats, her fourth double-digit scoring performance in her last six games. And it was Nicholson providing 11 points and a game-high 14 rebounds for what is now her 10th consecutive double-double.
 


The Cats host "Senior Appreciation Day" in their next contest which features a SWAC matchup inside Moore Gymnasium versus in-state opponent Florida A&M on Saturday, March 8, at 3 p.m.
 


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