BATON ROUGE, La. — The Southern Jaguars used a dominant second half to pull away from Bethune-Cookman for a 73-47 win Saturday afternoon at the F.G. Clark Activity Center.

 

1^st Quarter

The opening 10 minutes set the tone for a competitive first half, as neither team led by more than five points.

Southern (16-11, 12-4) struck first on a jumper by Zaria Hurston, but Madison Holden answered on the other end to tie the game at 2-2. Tyler Butler helped spark the Wildcats (6-24, 4-13) early on, scoring inside and getting to the line as part of an 8-2 B-CU spurt that gave the visitors the lead midway through the quarter.

Southern responded behind bench production, including a 3-pointer from Olivia Delancy and interior finishes from Anaja Hall. The Jaguars went on a 7-0 run late in the quarter to take an 11-8 lead.

Madison Holden knocked down a jumper in the final minute to give Bethune-Cookman a 14-13 edge. Southern's Demonnie Lagway then split a pair of free throws in the closing seconds to even the score at 14-14 after one.

Butler paced the Wildcats with eight first-quarter points, while the Wildcats shot 45.5 percent (5-of-11) from the floor in the period.

2^nd Quarter

Bethune-Cookman briefly regained momentum early in the second. Butler converted two free throws to give the Wildcats a 16-14 advantage, and Jordan Brooks added a jumper to make it 18-16.

Southern answered with steady interior play and second-chance opportunities. A putback by Demya Porter tied the game at 18-18 before Jaylia Reed and Hurston combined to push the Jaguars ahead.

Midway through the quarter, Southern used a 10-4 stretch, highlighted by a 3-pointer from Mykayla Cunningham and strong rebounding from Porter and Hurston, to build a 26-22 lead.

Sanai Tyler provided a key offensive rebound and putback to trim the deficit to two at 24-26, but Jocelyn Tate scored inside late to give Southern a 28-24 halftime advantage.

B-CU struggled from the field in the quarter, shooting just 20 percent (2-of-10), but stayed within striking distance by going 6-of-8 from the free-throw line. At the break, Butler led all Wildcats with 10 points.

3^rd Quarter

The game turned decisively in the third quarter.

After Kailyn Peters scored inside to cut the deficit to 28-26, Southern ignited a momentum-shifting run fueled by perimeter shooting and turnovers. Reed knocked down a 3-pointer to push the lead to 32-28, and the Jaguars capitalized on consecutive B-CU miscues to extend the margin.

A 12-3 Southern run, capped by back-to-back 3-pointers from Delancy and Jestiny Dixon, stretched the lead to double digits at 43-31. The Jaguars shot 57.1 percent (8-of-14) in the quarter and hit 3-of-6 from beyond the arc.

Meanwhile, Southern's defensive pressure forced nine third-quarter turnovers by the Wildcats, converting them into transition opportunities. Hurston added a pair of baskets in the paint during the surge, and Tate closed the quarter with a fast-break layup and free throws.

Southern outscored Bethune-Cookman 24-11 in the period to take a commanding 52-35 lead into the fourth.

4^th Quarter

Southern continued to pour it on in the final frame, opening the quarter on a 6-2 run to extend the lead past 20. Xyllize Harrison scored inside, and Reed connected on another 3-pointer to push the margin to 58-37.

Reed, who finished with 14 points on four made 3-pointers, hit two more triples in the fourth as Southern's lead ballooned to as many as 27. The Jaguars shot 63.6 percent (7-of-11) in the quarter and 60 percent (3-of-5) from 3-point range.

• Tyler Butler led the Wildcats with 12 points.
• Jalyia Reed scored 14 to lead the Jaguars.
• Twelve Jaguars finished with at least one made field goal. Southern finished the game with 37 bench points.
• The Wildcats shot just 34.1% overall and attempted 16 less shots than the Jaguars.
• Southern recorded 16 steals and forced 26 B-CU turnovers.

Bethune-Cookman closes out the regular season on the road against Florida A&M. The game takes place Thursday, March 5th at 5 p.m. from Tallahassee.

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 X/Twitter (@BCUAthletics), Instagram (@BCU_Athletics) and BCUathletics.com.