DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Bethune-Cookman placed had five players score in double figures to send the North Carolina A&T men's basketball team to its fourth straight loss with a 78-56 triumph at Moore Gymnasium.
The Wildcats (9-17, 5-5 MEAC) shot 49 percent (24-for-49) from the field and were 9-for-21 from 3-point range. B-CU hit 7 of 9 from 3-point range in the first half to lead the Aggies (6-21, 3-9 MEAC) at the half.
“Bethune shot the ball very well,” head coach Cy Alexander said. “We played one half fairly well and the other half not so well. We put ourselves in a hole and we paid for it.”
With the game tied at 6 at the 14:26 mark of the first half, the Wildcats served the Aggies with an 18-4 run to gain the 24-10 advantage under the nine-minute mark. Quintin Brewer hit back-to-back jumpers for B-CU to give it the largest lead of the half, 39-21 with 2:19 remaining. The Aggies scored six straight points to trail B-CU by 12 but Mikel Trapp drained a three with one second remaining in the half.
A&T managed to cut the Wildcats lead to 10 twice in the second half with a 3-pointer by Bruce Beckford at the 16:32 mark and a jumper by Bryan Akinkugbe with 15:51 on the clock. But that was the closest the Aggies got to the Wildcats in the second half.
Beckford scored a game-high 21 points off the bench for the Aggies. Beckford also added a team-high eight rebounds. In his first start in 18 games, Akinkugbe recorded his first double-figure scoring game of the season with 10 points. He also grabbed five rebounds and recorded two blocks.
For the first time this season, Beckford failed to get the start. But he was not the only change. Arturs Bremers did not start for the first time in 17 games. Instead, freshman Austin Williams returned to the starting lineup.
“Bruce came off the bench for us tonight because we needed him to realize some things,” said Alexander. “We didn't like the way he finished in the last game. We need Bruce in this final stretch as we get ready for the MEAC tournament. We need everybody else to step up too. Bryan showed up and had a good game tonight.”
Brandon Stewart led the Wildcats with 20 points. Quinton, who was 8-for-10 from the field, added 16 points and 10 rebounds. Mikel Trapp (12), Ricky Johnson (11), and Denzel Dulin (10) rounded out the double-figure scorers for B-CU.
A&T returns back to Corbett Sports Center for a three-game homestand beginning with Morgan State on Monday, Feb. 23 at 7:30 p.m.
