ATLANTA, GA – The Alcorn State men's basketball team saw its season come to an end in the SWAC Tournament quarterfinals, falling to No. 3 seed Bethune-Cookman 69-60 on Thursday evening at the Gateway Center Arena. The No. 6 seed Braves (11-20, 11-7 SWAC) fought hard but couldn't overcome a second-half surge from the Wildcats (17-15, 13-5 SWAC).
Jalyke Gaines-Wyatt led the Braves with 21 points, shooting 8-of-16 from the field while adding five assists and two steals.
Djahi Binet contributed 16 points and eight rebounds, while
Marcus Tankersley finished with 11 points.
Michael Pajeaud controlled the boards with a team-high nine rebounds and added eight points. Despite out-rebounding Bethune-Cookman 40-33, Alcorn struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 2-of-10 three-pointers.
Bethune-Cookman took a slim lead into halftime before pulling away late in the second half. The Wildcats connected on 10 three-pointers,
including six in the final 20 minutes, to hold off the Braves and advance to the semifinals.
GAME RECAP
First Half – Bethune-Cookman 24, Alcorn 21
- Both teams started slow offensively, with Alcorn shooting just 27.3% in the first half.
- Gaines-Wyatt provided early momentum, scoring eight first-half points, including a fast-break layup to give the Braves a 10-9 lead midway through the period.
- Bethune-Cookman capitalized on three late turnovers to close the half on a 6-2 run, taking a three-point lead into the break.
Second Half – Bethune-Cookman 69, Alcorn 60
- The Braves found their rhythm early in the second half, using a quick 6-0 run to take a brief 35-34 lead.
- Bethune-Cookman responded with back-to-back three-pointers to reclaim control.
- Alcorn cut the deficit to 53-50 with under four minutes remaining after a layup from Binet, but the Wildcats pulled away with a 9-2 run in the final two minutes.
- Free throws in the final seconds secured the win for Bethune-Cookman.
BY THE NUMBERS
- 21 – Jalyke Gaines-Wyatt led all scorers with 21 points while adding five assists.
- 16 & 8 – Djahi Binet finished with 16 points and eight rebounds in a strong effort.
- 40-33 – Alcorn won the rebounding battle but couldn't convert second-chance opportunities.
- 10 – Bethune-Cookman knocked down 10 three-pointers, making the difference in the game.
- 55.2% – The Wildcats shot 61.5% in the second half, compared to 40.3% overall for Alcorn.
SEASON CONCLUSION
With the loss, Alcorn State concludes the 2024-25 season with an 11-20 overall record and an 11-7 mark in SWAC play.
