DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Interstat) — In a matchup of teams seeking to climb out of the Southwestern Athletic Conference cellar, the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats used a decisive fourth-quarter run to pull away from the Prairie View A&M Lady Panthers for a 62-52 victory in women’s basketball Saturday at Moore Gymnasium.

The game, played before an announced crowd of 307, saw the Wildcats improve to 5-19 overall, while the Lady Panthers fell to 2-20. Both teams entered with identical 1-9 conference records, but Bethune-Cookman managed to create separation when it mattered most.

Prairie View, despite a season-long struggle for offensive consistency, started brightly. The Lady Panthers opened the game on a 7-0 run, fueled by an early jumper from Crystal Schultz and a driving layup from CJ Wilson. They maintained that early edge, leading 15-14 after a frenetic first quarter that featured 12 combined turnovers.

The offensive flow stalled considerably for the visitors in the second period. The Lady Panthers managed just six points on 2-of-14 shooting, allowing Bethune-Cookman to seize control. The Wildcats closed the first half on an 8-2 spurt, capped by a Janessa Kelley driving layup, to take a 29-21 lead into the locker room.

Bethune-Cookman’s advantage grew to as many as 11 points in the third quarter following a Jordan Brooks three-pointer. Prairie View, however, demonstrated resilience. A late third-quarter push, highlighted by a Marckalia Celestine layup and two CJ Wilson free throws, trimmed the deficit to 42-35 heading into the final frame.

The most critical sequence of the game unfolded early in the fourth quarter. With the Wildcats leading 44-37, Prairie View’s Crystal Schultz committed a traveling turnover. On the ensuing possession, Bethune-Cookman’s Daimoni Dorsey sank a jump shot. After another empty Prairie View trip, the Wildcats worked the ball inside to Dariasia Pitts for a layup, extending the run to 6-0 and pushing the lead to 48-37 with 7:30 remaining. The Lady Panthers would not get within single digits again until the final minute, as the Wildcats consistently answered every Prairie View basket.

Bethune-Cookman’s victory was anchored by interior dominance and capitalizing on Prairie View’s offensive woes. The Wildcats outscored the Lady Panthers 26-16 in the paint and outrebounded them 45-38, including a 15-10 edge on the offensive glass. Prairie View shot just 30.4% from the field and 20.7% from three-point range.

CJ Wilson led all scorers for Prairie View with 17 points, adding seven rebounds. Crystal Schultz contributed 14 points, and Alana Shields finished with 10 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Marckalia Celestine was a force defensively with nine rebounds and two blocks.

Bethune-Cookman’s attack was more balanced. Daimoni Dorsey paced the Wildcats with 15 points, while Mya Johnson recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Jordan Brooks also added 12 points.

The game was a defensive struggle for long stretches, with both teams committing more turnovers than assists. Prairie View finished with 16 turnovers against eight assists, while Bethune-Cookman had 18 turnovers and six assists. The Wildcats’ slightly more efficient offense, posting an offensive rating of 87.9 to Prairie View’s 74.7, proved to be the difference.

Prairie View A&M looks to regroup when it returns home to host Grambling on Thursday. Bethune-Cookman hits the road for its next contest, also on Thursday, at Jackson State.