Jan. 27, 2007

Final Stats

Daytona Beach, Fla. - Winston-Salem State University jumped out to a quick 17-4 lead and never looked back on Saturday evening as they took down the Bethune-Cookman College Wildcats in a men's basketball affair, 56-48, inside Moore Gymnasium in Daytona Beach, Fla.

WSSU (4-19) knocked in five (5) three-point field goals to start the game, led by Darius Floyd who started off the game with two of his own. Added two more three-point baskets from the Rams' Curtis Hines and Jamal Durham, and the Rams were out and running to a 17-4 lead midway through the first half.

Bethune-Cookman (4-14) could not find the inside of the basket through the first half. After a jumper just inside the top of the key from B-CC's John Anderson with 16:24 left in the first half, the Wildcats went the next 10 minutes without a single shot falling in from the field. They shot exactly 6.7 percent with 6:30 left in the half.

Jimmy Hudson's back-to-back baskets for the `Cats, including one of his team-high four three-pointers, brought B-CC to within nine points (22-13) with 5:41 left in the opening stanza.

But the backbreaker for the `Cats all night long was the three-ball, as the Rams' Hines drained a long range bomb following two foul shots from Greg Lewis. That three-pointer put WSSU back out in front 29-16.

The Rams would hold a 30-18 edge at the half.

The 12-point disadvantage was the largest at home for the Wildcats all season. The previous high was 11 by South Carolina State (37-26) back on Jan. 15.

In the second half, the Wildcats clawed back to within striking distance when Damitrius Coleman's driving lay-up with 3:16 showing on the clock cut the Rams lead down to five at 48-43. But a foul on the ensuing possession allowed Durham to toe the line and knock down two free throws in order to bring the lead back to seven (50-43) ... and it never dropped below that again.

B-CC cut the lead to seven (30-23) at the start of the half as they went on an 8-3 run sparked by a three-point basket from Hudson and driving lay-up by Dewayne Pettus. But WSSU's Roy Peake snapped the run as he stroked in his only basket of the game with a long-range three to bring the lead back out to double-figures moments later.

WSSU was led by two players in double-figures, including Floyd with a game-high tying 17 points with all of his field goals coming from three-point range. Behind Floyd was Durham with 16 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.

As for the Wildcats, they were led by Hudson's 17 points. Coleman finished with eight points, eight rebounds and four assists in a quality night at his point guard position.

The Wildcats shots a season-low percentage at home (31.6) and a season-low tying 16.7 percent from three-point land at home. They were just 4-of-24 from three-point land as they hoisted up a season-high 24 attempts.

B-CC will venture back into conference play on Monday evening when they take on Delaware State inside Moore Gymnasium at 7:30 pm. B-CC knocked off DSU last year in Daytona Beach at the Ocean Center. WSSU, meanwhile, travels to Florida A&M for a 7:30 pm game in Tallahassee, Fla. on Monday.