DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The Bethune-Cookman Wildcats men's basketball jumped out to a commanding first-half lead and never looked back, defeating Alabama State Hornets men's basketball 82-71 on Wednesday night at Moore Gymnasium.
1st Half
Bethune-Cookman (14-13, 11-3) wasted no time establishing control, opening the game on a 17-5 run fueled by hot shooting from beyond the arc and aggressive play in transition.
Jakobi Heady led the early charge, knocking down a pair of 3-pointers in the opening minutes as the Wildcats stretched the lead to double digits before the midpoint of the half. B-CU shot a blistering 58.6 percent (17-of-29) from the floor in the first 20 minutes and connected on 6-of-12 from long range.
Daniel Rouzan provided a strong interior presence with 11 first-half points, while Ariel Bland came off the bench to spark the Wildcats on both ends. Bland's dunk and late fastbreak layup helped Bethune-Cookman push its advantage to as many as 18 points.
Alabama State (9-18, 6-8) found offense primarily through Tyler Mack, who hit four 3-pointers in the half, but the Wildcats maintained control throughout. Bethune-Cookman closed the period on a steady run and carried a 52-39 lead into the locker room.
2nd Half
The Hornets attempted to chip away early in the second half, trimming the deficit to nine points midway through the period. But each Alabama State push was met with a timely response from the Wildcats.
Rouzan converted inside and Jakobi Heady continued to deliver from the perimeter, finishing with a game-high 26 points on 7-of-13 shooting, including 5-of-7 from beyond the arc. Heady also went 7-of-10 at the free-throw line.
Bland dominated the glass, pulling down 13 rebounds to go along with 10 points for a double-double effort. Bethune-Cookman outrebounded Alabama State 40-36 and limited the Hornets' second-half 3-point production to just 2-of-11 shooting.
The Wildcats sealed the game at the free-throw line down the stretch, shooting 80 percent (8-of-10) from the stripe in the second half to keep Alabama State at bay.
- Jakobi Heady led all scorers with 26 points, making five of his seven three-point attempts.
- Daniel Rouzan scored 15 points.
- Ariel Bland picked up his first double-double of the season, scoring a season-high 10 points and grabbing 11 boards.
- Tyler Mack led the Hornets with 21 points on five made three-pointers.
- B-CU held the Hornets to 38.8% shooting from the field and 26.9% from three.
Bethune-Cookman will take on Alabama A&M in the final home game of the season. The game begins at 5:30 p.m. EST.
Follow Bethune-Cookman Men's Basketball on Twitter (@BCUHoops) and Instagram (@BCU_Hoops) 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.
