Tooth and Nail: Women’s Win and Men Fall Short vs. Bethune-Cookman

In a thrilling college basketball doubleheader, the Southern Jaguars clashed with the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats. Both teams would fight tooth and nail in both games. In the first quarter of the women’s matchup, both teams displayed strong defensive performances, resulting in a low-scoring affair. The Lady Jags led the Lady Wildcats 12-9 at the end of the first quarter. Bethune-Cookman’s Chanelle McDonald and Karianna Woods made key plays, while Southern’s graduate guards Genovea Johnson and Taylor Williams contributed to their team’s efforts. Johnson and Williams combined for 20 points. However, turnovers plagued both teams, with the Lady Jags having 20 and Bethune Cookman 22 by the end of the game. In the second quarter, both teams continued to display intense defensive efforts and battled for control of the game. The quarter ended with Southern holding a narrow lead of 27-23. As both teams headed into the halftime break, Southern looked to maintain their momentum. In the third quarter, both teams continued to battle fiercely, with the score remaining close throughout. The quarter ended with Bethune-Cookman holding a slim lead of 39-37. Junior guard Aleighyah Fontenot and senior forward Raven White contributed to Southern’s scoring efforts in the second half. White finished with 11 points, and Fontenot finished with 7 points. In the fourth quarter, Raven White of Southern made a layup and a free throw to tie the game at 50-50 with 43 seconds left, and that would be the score going into overtime. The Lady Jags would lock in and hit critical shots to extend their lead, resulting in the Lady Jags winning 63-59. Head coach of the women’s basketball team, Carlos Funchess, highlighted his team’s effort down the stretch. “We were able to create turnovers and capitalize on them, knocking down big shots when it counted most.” Junior guard Aniya Gourdine talked about her emotions down the stretch. “I felt confident in those last moments.” She would highlight how the team rallied for a clutch victory. As for the men, the game started with both teams showcasing their defensive prowess, with missed jumpers and turnovers characterizing the early exchanges. However, Southern’s junior guard Derrick Tezeno and senior forward Jariyon Wilkens managed to find their rhythm, contributing crucial points to keep their team in contention. Bethune-Cookman responded with strong plays from Dhashon Dyson and Zion Harmon, who capitalized on offensive rebounds and turnovers to maintain a narrow lead. Despite Southern’s efforts to close the gap, Bethune-Cookman’s defense remained resilient, preventing Southern from taking the lead. Southern’s Antoine Jacks and Delang Muon also made notable contributions with their scoring and defensive efforts. As the first half ended, both teams demonstrated their determination to secure the win, setting the stage for an intense second half. As the clock wound down, Bethune-Cookman fought back, with Harmon making crucial plays to keep his team in the game. Seneca Willoughby’s three-pointer gave Bethune-Cookman a 60-56 lead with just over two minutes remaining. Southern tried to stage a comeback, but Bethune-Cookman’s strong defense and free throws from Dyson secured the win for the Wildcats. In a game marked by intense back-and-forth action, Bethune-Cookman’s resilience and execution in the second half proved decisive, earning them a hard-fought victory over Southern. Tezeno led the team in points with 12. Junior guard Tidijane Dioumassi led the team in assists with 11 assists. The theme of the game was the ability to hit free throws. Bethune-Cookman was 30 for 36 at the free throw line. On the other hand, Southern shot terribly from the free-throw line, going 14 for 25. Head Coach of the men’s basketball team, Kevin Johnson highlighted his disappointment with the team from the free throw line. “We were 14-25…that is unacceptable.” Dioumassi expressed his thoughts on the game and posed a question to the team. “How bad do we want it?” After the FAMU game, the Jags will not play at home again, so all eyes go toward the SWAC Tournament.