Wildcats Outlast Golden Lions 87-82 in Overtime Thriller
PINE BLUFF, Ark. — In a back-and-forth Southwestern Athletic Conference battle at H.O. Clemmons Arena on Monday night, the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats came out on top in overtime, defeating the UAPB Golden Lions 87-82. The loss drops UAPB to 6-13 overall and 3-3 in SWAC play, while the Wildcats move to 7-11, 4-1 SWAC.
UAPB started strong, heading into intermission up 37-32 and building a double-digit lead in the second half. The Golden Lions’ hot shooting carried them through much of regulation, but Bethune-Cookman refused to fold, rallying back down the stretch. A clutch pair of free throws by Daniel Rouzan with just under a minute left knotted the score at 69-69. Alex Mirhosseini drove to the basket drawing contact from multiple players before missing the lay up forcing overtime. Bethune-Cookman seized momentum in extra time and never trailed again coming out with the win.
Quion Williams put up a complete stat line with 19 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds and 3 steals, leading the Golden Lions on both ends. Milhan Charles also scored 19 points and added 2 steals while Jaquan Scott contributed 16 points as part of a balanced offensive attack.
UAPB showed great ball movement all night, finishing with 18 assists on 28 made baskets, and they forced 17 Bethune-Cookman turnovers, converting them into 23 points.
The Golden Lions will look to regroup as they hit the road this weekend, facing Southern University Saturday, January 24, at 5:30pm. Live coverage provided by Central Maloney Inc. on Deltaplex Radio’s 99.3fm The Beat.
