TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Bethune-Cookman will close the door on the regular season with a matchup with Florida A&M at the Al Lawson Center. The game begins at 5 p.m. EST as the Wildcats get one last tune-up before the SWAC tournament begins.


Thursday, March 5
Opponent: Florida A&M (7-21, 6-11)
Time: 5 p.m. EST
Location: Tallahassee, Fla. | Al Lawson Center
Watch: https://hbcugo.tv/Live%20TV
Live Stats: https://famuathletics.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary


1st 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.

2nd 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.

3rd 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.

4th 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.


Florida A&M
The Rattlers are 6-11 in SWAC play, currently holding the conference's eighth seed. They are currently on a six-game losing streak dating back to February 12. Most recently, they suffered a 14-point road loss at Grambling State.

FAMU deploys two double figure scorers in Shaniyah McCarthy and Tahnyjia Purifoy. McCarthy leads the way, averaging 12.1 points per contest, while Purifoy sits at just under 11 points per game. 

The Rattlers rank near the bottom of the league in most statistical categories. One are they particularly struggle is three-point shooting as they rank dead last in the league in three-point percentage and three-pointers made.

Free-throw shooting has been a strength for FAMU this season, as they ranks second in the league in shooting percentage from the line behind only the Wildcats.


The Wildcats picked up a dramatic win against Florida A&M earlier this season, their second in a row against the Rattlers. However, FAMU still holds the edge in the all-time series 56-44.

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