Nov. 16, 2006

Daytona Beach, Fla. - Bethune-Cookman College women's basketball opened up the season with an unblemished mark for consecutive years after upending local rival Stetson University by a score of 60-55 on Thursday night at Moore Gymnasium in Daytona Beach, Florida.

As previously stated, Bethune-Cookman (1-0) opened up the third year of the Francis Simmons era at B-CC with a 1-0 mark for back-to-back years, after knocking off in-state foe North Florida last year at Moore Gym. This time, however, the Wildcats would not have to hold their breath until the end ... at least not the VERY end. Though many don't consider the series the two teams share in numerous sports a rivalry, per say, it's always a good time when the only two Division I teams within a 60-mile radius of the greater Orlando metro area get together. It's always a classic battle between the Hatters and Wildcats. It's ALWAYS a battle when East meets West.

As B-CC led by three points at the half (28-25), the score did little to reflect what actually happened in the opening stanza.

Following a three-point play from Janene Maclin, Stetson (0-3) jumped out to a quick 10-point advantage (13-3) less than six minutes into the game. The lead stayed at around a six-to-seven point swing for the Hatters for most of the half until Rosanna Jones connected on her only field goal of the game from downtown to put the `Cats up by one (21-20) with under four minutes left. The lead went back-and-forth until Sierra McKnight and Danetta Simpson hit consecutive field goals to put the `Cats up at the break.

The second half saw even more excitement as the lead went back-and-forth, yet again, as well as the score being tied nine (9) times.

B-CC's Sharnesha Smith connected hit a jumper from just outside the paint with 6:45 showing on the clock to put the `Cats up 49-46 before the Hatters' Prue Kenny hit her only jumper of the contest to tie the game at 49-49. The game was tied once again at 50-50 before the `Cats used a 5-0 run, aided by the inside play of Simpson, to go up 55-50 with 2:56 remaining in the contest.

Stetson's Jamie Nesbit and Ashli Jackson kept the visiting Hatters close, but in the end there was just too much Simpson as she posted eight of her team's last 10 points over the course of the final three minutes of the game to lead the `Cats to victory. Sabrina Boykin and Tristan McCray each pitched in late free throws to make sure the victory was sealed for B-CC.

Three Hatters entered the double-digit scoring column for Stetson, led by Maclin with a game-high 14 points, followed up by Nesbit with 12 and Vlendy Roldan with 11. Sharnesha Smith handed out a game-high six assists in the process.

As for B-CC, they were led by Cassandra Calcagno with 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the field, combined with an 11-point outburst from Simpson who shot a perfect 4-of-4 from the floor on the night. The spark plug for the Wildcats on defense, McCray, added nine points and nine boards, falling just short of a double-double performance.

The `Cats will now rest and enjoy the Florida Classic weekend before traveling to the home state of all three coaches on the B-CC women's staff, South Carolina, to compete in the University of South Carolina Thanksgiving Tournament. Other participating schools involved South Carolina, Mercer and Louisiana-Lafayette. The `Cats will take on homestanding South Carolina on Thursday evening at 7 p.m. in Columbia, S.C.

For more information on this game and Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) women's basketball, please log on to www.MEACsports.com, or call the B-CC Office of Sports Information at (386) 481-2206.