SW Mississippi News

Alcorn Defeats Bethune-Cookman, 58-49

Destiny Brown and Zy'Nyia White each scored 20 points for Alcorn on Monday evening, as the Braves defeated visiting Bethune-Cookman 58-49 in a Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Women's Basketball game at the Davey L. Whitney Complex.

 

Alcorn (7-11, 3-4 SWAC) led for much of the opening quarter until an 11-2 run by the visitors began with a pair of Morgan Beacham free throws, and followed by a Beacham jumper outside the paint. Chanel Wilson connected on a three-pointer for Bethune-Cookman, while KaylaWhite added a layup off a Braves turnover to put BCU up 12-11.

 

The run was capped by another Beacham jumper.

 

Bethune-Cookman (5-12, 4-3 SWAC) used six (6) first quarter points from the duo of Wilson and Beacham to lead 14-13 heading into the second quarter.

 

Alcorn would use a steady second quarter run of its own to tie the game at 25-all as the teams headed to their respective locker rooms at the half. Also of note, Alcorn was without the services of starting point guard Cayla Obillo who was out with an illness.

 

The Braves shot just 26.7 percent from the field in the second period, but connected on 4-of-5 shots at the foul line in contrast to BCU's 1-of-6 effort.

 

Kailyn Watkins provided Alcorn with three points off the bench in the Braves second quarter run.

 

In the third quarter, the homestanding Braves rolled off the first eight points of the period behind baskets from Tyginae Wright and Zy'Nyia White. Alcorn led 35-27 with 5:24 left in the third quarter after a jumper from the right elbow courtesy Brown.

 

BCU was restricted to just a 4-of-16 shooting performance from the field in the third quarter, using four points from Beacham. Meanwhile, the Braves were powered by Brown's nine points in the period, while her side shot 42.1 percent overall – despite a 0-for-6 effort from the three-point line.

 

"Destiny Brown proved she is one of the best centers in the country, and we have to find more ways to give her the ball," expressed Alcorn Head Coach Nate Kilbert afterwards. "Chanel Wilson and [Morgan] Beacham are for real for Bethune-Cookman. We knew we had to try and limit their touches, but you can't stop them altogether."

 

The Braves held a 44-37 lead after three quarters of play.

 

Alcorn stretched the lead to double-digits at 53-43 on the heels of a White three-point play, as she connected on the free throw following the and-one.

 

BCU was limited to just three free throws over the course of the last 2:23 of the contest, as the Wildcats dropped their second game in three days on the team's Mississippi road trip, having fallen away to Jackson State over the weekend.

 

For the Braves, the win was Alcorn's third in the last four outings, including a 72-60 win over Florida A&M this past Saturday at the Whitney Complex.

 

Alcorn was paced in scoring by the combination of Brown and White with 20 points apiece. Brown also added 14 rebounds for her double-double – the sixth of its kind on the season for the Los Angeles native.

 

The normally sharp-shooting Braves were held to just 1-for-18 from beyond the arc, but finished the night with 34.4 percent shooting from the field overall.

 

Bethune-Cookman used 18 points from Wilson, as she finished 4-of-11 from three-point range. Beacham ended the night with 12 points. Clark powered the Wildcats with 10 rebounds.

Original source can be found here.