BOCA RATON, FL -- Anii Harris collected 31 points, but the Bowie State women's basketball team fell to the Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish 83-67 at de Hoernle Sports & Cultural Center Monday afternoon during the opening day of the Holiday Classic. BSU will now face Lynn on Tuesday, Dec. 19 at 2 p.m. to conclude the Holiday Classic.
The Bulldogs (8-4) had two players score in double figures, led by Harris, who had 31 points and two steals. Jayla Irvin tacked on 17 points and Saniha Jackson added four points and five steals.
Beulah Odiong pulled down four offensive rebounds to pace an offense that racked up second chance opportunities for Bowie State, grabbing 15 boards and turning them into seven second chance points.The Bulldogs defense forced 18 PBA turnovers while committing six. Those takeaways turned into 19 points on the other end of the floor. Jackson's five steals led the way individually for the Bulldogs.
How It Happened
BSU kept it close in the first quarter, but entered the second frame down 17-13.
The Bulldogs continued to lose ground in the second quarter and faced a 37-24 halftime deficit.
PBA continued to increase its lead after halftime, building a 48-29 advantage before Bowie State went on an 8-0 run, punctuated by a basket from Harris, to trim its deficit to 48-37 with 3:28 to go in the third. Palm Beach Atlantic countered and stretched its lead to 56-41 heading into the fourth. Bowie State played well near the basket, scoring 10 of its 17 points in the paint.
Palm Beach Atlantic kept widening its lead in the fourth, constructing a 66-46 advantage before BSU went on an 8-0 run, finished off by Harris' layup, to shrink the deficit to 66-54 with 6:04 to go in the contest. Palm Beach Atlantic responded and outscored the Bulldogs the rest of the way, ending the game with a final score of 83-67. The Bulldogs took advantage of seven Palm Beach Atlantic turnovers in the quarter, scoring nine points off of those takeaways.
Game Notes
» Harris, Irvin, and Odiong combined to account for 79-percent of the Bulldogs points.
» The Bulldogs dominated the turnover battle, forcing 18 PBA giveaways while committing only six.
» BSU's defense forced 18 turnovers.
» Bowie State cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 15 offensive boards in the game.
» Harris led the Bulldogs with a game-high 31 points.
» Bowie State got a team-high eight rebounds from Odiong
Looking Ahead
Following the Holiday Classic, Bowie State will close out the 2023 portion of the schedule and close out the non-conference schedule on Dec. 31 at Frostburg State with tip-off scheduled for 1 p.m.
For the most up-to-date information on Bowie State Athletics and its 13 varsity sport teams, visit bsubulldogs.com.
