DAYTONA BEACH, FL --- Despite a career effort from junior guard
Imani Bailey, cold shooting and a thin bench plagued the Howard women's basketball team in a 61-53 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) loss to the Bethune-Cookman Lady Wildcats Monday afternoon at Moore Gymnasium.
Bailey finished with 15 points, six assists, four rebounds and four steals. Her point total tied for the game high and also matched her career best, set as a freshman at George Washington on December 15, 2012. Bailey's six assists match a career mark she's achieved three times prior, the most recent coming against LIU Brooklyn on December 14, 2014. Her four steals tied her best effort from earlier in the season against LaSalle on November 22, 2014.
Sophomore forward
Sydni Johnson scored 14 points and added four rebounds and three steals while junior center
Victoria Gonzales chipped in 12 points, four rebounds, a pair of steals and a block.
Howard (2-17, 2-4 MEAC) struggled to score against Bethune-Cookman (8-12, 5-3 MEAC) throughout the first half
as a long stretch of turnovers and missed shots (9-of-32, 28 percent) allowed the Lady Wildcats to take a 33-23 lead at the half.B-CU scored the final three points of the half, which snowballed into a 10-minute, 22-7 run that put the Lady Bison behind 52-30 with under 11 minutes remaining in the game. Howard would remain behind by more than 20 points until the 1:30 mark of the second half.
Playing with eight active players and only putting seven on the floor, Howard showed signs of fatigue easily and allowed Bethune to take advantage. The Lady Wildcats won the rebounding battle, 48-25 and outscored the undermanned Lady Bison, 36-12 in the paint.
The Wildcats placed four players in double figures: Jasmine Knowles (15), Terrenisha Hollis (13), Kailyn Williams (12 points, 14 rebounds) and Kendra Cooper (10).
NEXT UP: Howard returns to DC to host the Morgan State Lady Bears on Saturday, January 31 at 2 p.m. The game will be the first of a MEAC Doubleheader and serve as part of Howard's Masonic Classic.
