Turnovers Trouble Cats in Loss at Southern (La.)

BATON ROUGE, La. – Led by strong performances from Aniya Gourdine and Soniyah Reed, Southern University defeated visiting Bethune-Cookman, 73-56 in Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Women’s Basketball action inside F.G. Clark Activity Center.
 


FIRST QUARTER
Southern (4-12, 2-1 SWAC) jumped out to an 8-0 lead in the opening minutes, thanks to the shooting efforts of Aniya Gourdine. Gourdine connected on two (2) three-pointers and finished with eight points in just over four minutes of play. Soniyah Reed came off the bench to provide an immediate spark for the Jaguars, scoring nine points in the first quarter on 4-of-5 shooting from the floor, including a three-pointer of her own.
 
Five different Bethune-Cookman (3-11, 0-2 SWAC) players scored in the opening period, including a three-pointer from Shomari Phillips. The Wildcats shot 50 percent from the field in the opener, as well as connecting on a pair of free throws. But it would be the Jaguars holding a 19-13 edge at the close of the quarter.
 
SECOND QUARTER
The Jaguars extended the lead to 29-17 on the strength of an 8-2 run with scoring supplied by DaKiyah Sanders and Reed along the way. With B-CU trailing 31-20, Daimoni Dorsey’s three-pointer from the left wing was followed by an Asiane Nicholson layup off the pass of Camerah Langston (seeing her first action of the year after returning from injury). When Kayla White’s three-pointer rattled home with 1:56 remaining in the half, the Cats were on an 8-0 run to chip into the deficit, 31-28.
 
Gourdine knocked down two of her team-high nine points in the quarter before B-CU’s White converted on both free throw attempts to bring the Cats within a 34-30 score line. Gourdine drove the paint for a layup with 19 seconds left to give the Jaguars a 36-30 halftime advantage. White would finish the quarter with eight points for the Maroon and Gold.
 
THIRD QUARTER
Bethune-Cookman trailed 42-35 after Southern’s Tionna Lidge step back jumper in the paint. But a second technical foul of the night called on White with 5:45 showing on the clock in the third quarter would see the Cleveland, Ohio native ejected.
 
Southern outscored the Wildcats 27-3 over the course of the next five minutes.
 
Taniya Lawson and Reed each tallied seven points, and Lidge produced five to help the homestanding Jaguars to shoot 50 percent from the field in the period – adding an 8 of 12 mark from the foul line. Meanwhile, the Southern defense forced B-CU into eight turnovers, converting that into 11 points in the quarter. The Cats were also held to just an 18.2 percent clip shooting from the field while shooting just 3 of 8 at the charity stripe.
 
FOURTH QUARTER
Six different Wildcats touched the scoring column in the fourth quarter, including Chariot Johnson. Nicholson posted a team-leading eight points in the quarter, with four of those coming at the foul line. Janessa Kelley connected on her only three-pointer of the game and point guard Jordan Brooks rattled home a layup as well.
                                

The Jaguars never trailed in the contest, building a lead that grew to as many as 28 points in the fourth quarter. Southern’s defense forced 34 turnovers, converting them into 25 points while also dominating in transition with a 20-7 advantage in fast break points. The Wildcats struggled from the free-throw line, converting just 14 of 30 attempts, while Southern ended the night shooting 21 of 27 at the line, respectfully.
 
Southern was led in scoring by Gourdine (21) and Reed (20), as Gourdine also supplied eight rebounds and six steals for the Jaguars.
 
B-CU was topped in scoring by Nicholson with 16 points – her team-leading eighth double digit scoring contest, adding 11 rebounds to complete her seventh double-double of the campaign. White finished the night with 10 points and four assists.
 

Bethune-Cookman next travels to SWAC opponent Grambling State to close the Louisiana road swing Saturday, Jan. 11, at 3 p.m. ET.
 
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