Bobcats Grind Out Scrappy 81-75 Win at Berkeley

NEW YORK, NY - The Bryant & Stratton Buffalo Bobcats scratched and clawed to an 81-75 road win over the Berkeley College Knights on Sunday afternoon on the campus of Borough of Manhattan Community College.  The trio of Janae Brannon, Shamecca Minor and Alissa Johnson combined for 67 points propelling the #2 Bobcats to the weekend sweep in the Big Apple.

The win was the second in as many days for the Bobcats.  A day after taking down Five Towns College 113-47, the Bobcats improved to 9-1 overall and 4-1 in true road games.  Brannon scored a game-high 24 points and corralled a season-high 18 rebounds, 10 on the offensive end.

THE FAST BREAK

• The Bobcats controlled the game early, racing out to a 15-2 lead.
• Berkeley responded with an 8-2 run.
• BSC Buffalo ended the first quarter with a 21-14 lead 
• They extended the lead to 13 (30-17) after a made jumper from junior DaKara Spence with 7:19 left in the half.
• Berkeley ended the half on a 12-4 run to cut the deficit to 5 (34-29) at halftime.
• After the Knights hit the first shot of the second half, Minor was fouled on a three-point attempt and hit the ensuing three free throws.
• With the score 38-33, Minor then hit back-to-back threes - the second being a four-point play - to extend the Bobcat lead to 12 (45-33).
• Johnson then hit a three on the next possession before Minor drilled another one to cap a 13-0 run and extend the lead to 18 (51-33) with 6:55 left in the third.
• Berkeley battled back.  After allowing another three to Johnson, the closed the gap, trimming the deficit to just six (60-54) at the end of the third.
• Tealaya Huff made two free throws to open the fourth quarter scoring the Bobcats before Minor hit another three to push the lead back to double-figures (65-54).
• The Bobcats led by double-digits for most of the fourth quarter, not allowing Berkeley to get any closer than six points.

BOBCAT BUCKETS

• Brannon scored a season-high 24 points on 11-of-22 shooting and also had a season-high 18 rebounds.  She also had five dimes and two steals.
• Johnson scored 22 with four made threes.  She also had five assists, a season-high.
• A day after hitting a program-record nine threes, Minor had five more on Sunday, finishing with 21 points.
• Freshman Alexus Pagan was everywhere for the Bobcats, finishing with four points, eight rebounds, eight steals, one assist and one block.
• Despite the height advantage, the Bobcats edged the Knights on the glass, 48-45.
• Each team had 16 assists.
• The Bobcats forced 26 points and turned those directly into 33 points.
• BSC Buffalo had 23 second chance points to Berkely's 14.
• BSC Buffalo led wire-to-wire.

WHAT THEY SAID

"When we play together I feel we can compete with anyone," BSC Buffalo Head Coach Brittnee Perry said.  "We did a great job in all the categories that don't show up on the stat sheet.  I'm proud of our girls for getting the job done in our first two-game road trip of the year."

UP NEXT

BSC Buffalo will return home for a matchup with Johnson & Wales (NC) on Sunday, December 15 at 1 p.m.  The Wildcats are currently ranked ninth in the USCAA Women's Division II National Coaches Poll.

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