Dec. 29, 2007

Box Score

Atlanta, Ga. - Jimmy Hudson scored 22 points and grabbed six rebounds to lead Bethune-Cookman to a 60-56 win over Georgia State on Saturday night.

For the Wildcats, it was a mental game before it ever started. B-CU had not won a road game on an opponent's home court all seaosn long. Head coach Clifford Reed, Jr. was determined to try and snap his team's mental thinking about that thought right from the start.

Bethune-Cookman (6-7) led for most of the contest, building a 55-43 lead with 3:33 minutes left in the second half. But the Panthers (3-8) pulled within two points with 49 seconds remaining after Leonard Mendez scored six straight points then D.J. Jones completed a three-point play and a layup.

But Bethune-Cookman's John Holmes, who went 10-of-10 from the free throw line, answered with a pair of shots made from the line to increase the lead to four points to help them pull away. Holmes finished with 12 points.

Rashad Chase scored 12 points for Georgia State, while Justin Billingslea added 10.

The Wildcats also got a very productive contest from freshman forward Kyle Cook with a team-high tying six rebounds off the bench. The Brooklyn, N.Y. native scored two baskets from the field and smacked away one blocked shot on the night.

For Bethune-Cookman, this was the first time they had won their final game of the calendar year since prior to the 1997-98 season--traditionally playing very tough non-conference foes in that final game. This was also the second time in three years the 'Cats have traveled to Atlanta for the final game of the calendar season.

B-CU fell to Georgia Tech back during the 2005-06 campaign.

The Wildcats will now take some much-needed rest before hosting Savannah State on jan. 10 in Daytona Beach at Moore Gymnasium. For ticket information, please call the B-CU Ticket Office at (386) 481-2292. This will be the only time this year the two intrastate rivals will hook-up on the hardwood.