HUNTSVILLE, Ala. | Alisha Wilson finished with a double-double of 18 rebounds and 15 points as the Alabama A&M University women's basketball team won an overtime thriller over Bethune-Cookman, 76-72, in a Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) game on Monday night at the AAMU Event Center.
Alabama A&M (10-11 overall, 5-4 SWAC) led by as many as 15 points in the second half but watched Bethune-Cookman storm back and force overtime. The Bulldogs sealed the game late in the extra period at the foul line.
Amiah Simmons led Alabama A&M with 17 points, six rebounds, four assists and one steal. Wilson and
Kaylah Turner each poured in 15 points. Wilson added one block, while Turner recorded three boards, two assists and two steals.
Darian Burgin chipped in 12 points, five boards, four steals and two assists.
Karianna Woods paced BCU with a game-high 26 points, eight rebounds, one steal and one block. Kayla White poured in 16 points, five boards, three assists and two steals, while Kerrighan Dunn recorded 13 points, six boards and a team-high five assists.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Bethune-Cookman (13-9, 4-5) grabbed a 12-8 advantage after free throws by Chanelle McDonald with 3:13 remaining in the opening quarter
- Alabama A&M responded with an 8-3 run over the final three minutes as Kaylah Turner drained a jumper as time expired, sending the Bulldogs into the second period with a 16-15 lead
- A Shantae Edwards layup with just over nine minutes left in the half gave BCU a 19-16 advantage
- Alabama A&M answered with a 10-1 run over the next four-plus minutes after Turner scored on a layup, giving the Bulldogs a 26-20 lead with 4:52 remaining
- The Bulldogs continued to stretch the lead as Victoria Dixon completed a three-point play as Alabama A&M went into the break with a 36-26 advantage
- AAMU extended the margin to 40-26 after a Turner layup just 26 seconds into the third period
- Three straight buckets by Wilson gave the Bulldogs a 50-35 lead with exactly four minutes left
- The Wildcats closed the gap to 52-43 as time expired after a Woods jumper
- Bethune-Cookman used a 10-4 run after a Dunn pull-up jumper to close the margin to 56-53 with 7:19 remaining
- A White jumper tied the game at 62 with 3:22 left, but Burgin completed the three-point play at the other end as AAMU took a 65-62 advantage with just over three minutes to play
- Back-to-back jumpers by Woods and White gave Bethune-Cookman its first lead since the second quarter with a 67-65 advantage with 1:07 left
- Burgin answered back with a long-rang jumper, tying the game at 67 with 33 seconds remaining
- Both teams had opportunities down the stretch as Woods drove to the basket as time expired, but couldn't get the shot off, sending the game into overtime
- AAMU got putback buckets by Wilson and Jayla Cody as the Bulldogs took a 73-70 lead with 1:11 remaining
- After a jumper by Woods, Wilson was fouled and went 1-of-2 from the charity stripe as the Bulldogs held a slim, 74-72, lead with 16.9 seconds left
- After a timeout, White missed a 3-pointer from the left wing and the Simmons grabbed the loose ball with 7.5 seconds remaining
- The Bulldogs sealed the game at the foul line for their second consecutive win
GAME NOTES
- Alabama A&M shot 39.2 percent (31-of-79) from the floor and 72.2 percent (13-of-18) from the free-throw line
- The Bulldogs grabbed 54 rebounds, including 22 on the offensive glass
- Amiah Simmons recorded 17 points, six rebounds, four assists and one steal
- Alisha Wilson added a double-double of 18 boards and 15 points, with one blocked shot
- Kaylah Turner registered 15 points, three boards, two assists and two steals
- Darian Burgin chipped in 12 points, five boards, four steals and two assists
- The Bulldogs finished with 54 points in the paint, 18 points off 18 BCU turnovers, 17 fastbreak points, 17 bench points and 14 second-chance points
- Bethune-Cookman went 23-of-61 shooting (37.7 percent) and 20-of-30 (66.7 percent) from the charity stripe
- The Wildcats grabbed 36 rebounds, with 26 off the defensive glass
- Karianna Woods paced BCU with a game-high 26 points, eight rebounds, one steal and one block
- Kayla White poured in 16 points, five boards, three assists and two steals, while
- Kerrighan Dunn recorded 13 points, six boards and a team-high five assists
- The Wildcats finished with 28 points in the paint, 18 fastbreak points, 13 points off 18 AAMU turnovers, eight second-chance points and three bench points
UP NEXT
Alabama A&M returns to the road for a pair of conference games in Louisiana, starting on Saturday with a trip to Southern. Tip-off against the Jaguars is set for 3 p.m. from the F.G. Clark Activity Center.
For complete coverage of Alabama A&M Athletics, check out the official homepage at www.aamusports.com. Remember to follow us on social media: Instagram (@aamuathletics) and Twitter (@_aamuathletics).
