DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. | Koron Davis scored a career-high 28 points as the Alabama A&M University men's basketball team nearly rallied from a 20-point second-half deficit in falling, 85-76, to Bethune-Cookman in a Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) on Saturday at Moore Gymnasium.
Alabama A&M (16-12 overall, 9-6 SWAC), which saw its four-game winning streak snapped, cut the deficit to 76-71 with 2:46 remaining but could not get any closer.
Davis, whose previous career high was 24 points, went 10-of-14 from the floor and 6-of-7 from the foul line to lead all scorers with 28 points, along with four rebounds and one assist.
James Graham III added 18 points and six boards, while
Kintavious Dozier and
PJ Eason each scored 10 points.
Jakobi Heady paced Bethune-Cookman (15-13, 12-3) with 19 points, six assists and five boards, while Arterio Morris recorded 15 points, five boards and a pair of assists. Quentin Heady tossed in 14 points and five boards, and. Daniel Rouzan chipped in 10 points.
First Half
Alabama A&M struck first as Davis opened the scoring with a dunk less than a minute into the contest. However, Bethune-Cookman responded quickly, using efficient perimeter shooting and second-chance opportunities to seize control.
The Wildcats shot better than 65 percent from the floor in the opening half and knocked down six three-pointers, building a double-digit advantage midway through the period. Back-to-back triples from Heady extended the margin, and a late interior surge pushed the lead to 14 before the break.
Despite strong individual efforts from Davis and Graham, Alabama A&M entered halftime trailing 44-30.
Second Half
The Bulldogs came out with renewed energy in the second half. Graham scored inside and finished a fast-break dunk to spark momentum, while Eason provided a presence on the glass and around the rim.
Alabama A&M chipped away steadily, trimming the deficit to 10 on multiple occasions. Davis continued to attack downhill, scoring in transition and in the paint to keep the Bulldogs within striking distance.
With just under three minutes remaining, Eason converted at the free-throw line to pull Alabama A&M within five at 76-71. However, Bethune-Cookman responded with timely baskets and free throws down the stretch to seal the win.
UP NEXT
Alabama A&M returns home for its final three regular season games, starting next Saturday (Feb. 28) as the Bulldogs welcome Alabama State to town. Tip-off in the rivalry game during Senior Day is scheduled for 4:45 p.m. from the AAMU Event Center and streamed on SWAC TV.
For complete coverage of Alabama A&M Athletics – Huntsville's only Division I program - check out the official homepage at www.aamusports.com. Remember to follow us on social media: Instagram (@aamuathletics), Facebook (aamubulldogathletics), Twitter (@_aamuathletics) and TikTok (aamuathletics).
