DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Interstat) — The Alabama A&M women’s basketball team used a strong second half to defeat Bethune-Cookman 55-43 in a Southwestern Athletic Conference game Saturday at Moore Gymnasium. The Bulldogs, who trailed by three after the first quarter, outscored the Wildcats 34-24 after halftime before an announced crowd of 567. Jaida Belton led Alabama A&M with 18 points and nine rebounds. Aniya Palmer added 11 points and nine rebounds. Bethune-Cookman was led by Tyler Butler’s 10 rebounds and two blocks. Alabama A&M improved to 17-9 overall, while Bethune-Cookman fell to 6-22.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Interstat) — In a defensive struggle defined more by grit than grace, the Alabama A&M women’s basketball team grinded out a 55-43 victory over Bethune-Cookman on Saturday at Moore Gymnasium. The Bulldogs, improving to 17-9 overall and completing a regular-season sweep of the Wildcats, relied on interior dominance and capitalizing on mistakes to secure the Southwestern Athletic Conference win before a crowd of 567. Bethune-Cookman fell to 6-22. The most pivotal stretch of the game arrived late in the third quarter and bled into the fourth, transforming a narrow contest into a manageable lead for the visitors. Leading just 28-25 with under three minutes left in the third, Alabama A&M closed the period on a critical 5-3 run, capped by a driving layup from Jaida Belton. They then opened the final quarter with seven unanswered points, a surge fueled by defensive stops and timely scoring from Rakiyah Beal and Aniya Palmer. That 12-3 run spanning the quarters gave the Bulldogs a 40-28 advantage with 8:11 to play, a margin the Wildcats could not seriously threaten down the stretch. The game was characterized by frigid shooting. Alabama A&M connected on just 32.7% of its field goals and missed all 13 of its attempts from three-point range. Bethune-Cookman was scarcely better, shooting 31% from the floor and 3 of 13 from beyond the arc. The difference came at the free-throw line, where the Bulldogs made 21 of 26 attempts, and in the paint, where they outscored the Wildcats 32-18. Crucially, Alabama A&M’s defensive pressure forced 20 Bethune-Cookman turnovers, converting them into 27 points. The Bulldogs committed 12 turnovers of their own, leading to 11 points for the home team. Jaida Belton, a 6-foot-4 sophomore from Baltimore, led all scorers and was the game’s top performer. She finished with 18 points and nine rebounds, consistently finding ways to score inside despite tight defense. Her frontcourt mate, Aniya Palmer, a 6-1 sophomore from Lagrange, Georgia, added 11 points, nine rebounds and a block. Bethune-Cookman was led by the defensive presence of Tyler Butler, who grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked two shots. Kailyn Peters contributed seven rebounds and a block, while Alexandria Johnson came off the bench to score a team-high eight points. The first half was a low-scoring affair, with Bethune-Cookman taking an 11-8 lead after one quarter. Alabama A&M found a slight rhythm in the second, outscoring the Wildcats 13-8 to take a 21-19 lead into halftime. The Bulldogs slowly extended their lead in the third quarter before the decisive run that sealed the game. With the win, Alabama A&M continues its push in the SWAC standings. Bethune-Cookman, meanwhile, searches for answers to end a difficult season on a positive note. Alabama A&M will host Alabama State next Saturday. Bethune-Cookman travels to face Grambling on Thursday.

Preview: Alabama A&M at Bethune-Cookman Women’s Basketball DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Interstat) — A surging Alabama A&M squad will look to continue its climb in the Southwestern Athletic Conference standings when it visits struggling Bethune-Cookman in a women’s basketball matchup Saturday at Moore Gymnasium. The Bulldogs (15-9) enter on a seven-game winning streak, their latest a dominant 95-55 victory over Mississippi Valley State on Feb. 14. Bethune-Cookman (6-21) seeks to halt a two-game skid, most recently falling 61-60 to Alabama State on Thursday. Alabama A&M’s success is fueled by balance and recent dominance. During their streak, the Bulldogs have won by an average margin of 19.3 points. Guard Coriah Beck has been pivotal, averaging 12.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists over the last seven contests. She posted a triple-double with 18 points, 11 rebounds and six assists in the rout of Mississippi Valley State. The Wildcats counter with guard Madison Holden, who averages a team-leading 11.4 points per game in SWAC play. She scored 17 points in a loss to Alcorn State on Feb. 14 and had 20 in a Jan. 24 defeat to Jackson State. The teams met just over three weeks ago in Huntsville, with Alabama A&M securing a 49-44 defensive battle. Beck had seven points for the Bulldogs, while Holden was held to eight for the Wildcats. Bethune-Cookman has shown flashes at home, winning two of its last three at Moore Gymnasium, including conference victories over Prairie View A&M and Texas Southern earlier this month. Containing Beck and the Bulldogs’ momentum presents a significant challenge. Saturday’s contest is the only scheduled meeting between the programs this regular season. Alabama A&M continues its push toward the top of the SWAC, while Bethune-Cookman aims to play spoiler and build positive momentum for the upcoming conference tournament. Tip-off is set for Saturday afternoon.