TALLAHASSEE, Fla. | Alaina Rice and Shalaunda Burney-Robinson each poured in 15 points, but it wasn't enough as the Florida A&M University women's basketball team wrapped up its two-game homestand with a 77-53 loss to Alabama A&M on Friday afternoon at the Al Lawson Center.
 
Florida A&M (2-8) trailed 23-20 at the end of one period and 41-29 at the half. Alabama A&M (4-6) pushed the margin to 59-41 after three quarters, before outscoring FAMU in the final period, 19-12, to pick up the victory.
 
Robinson, who went 6-of-9 from the field and 3-of-4 from the foul line, finished with 15 points, a game-high seven rebounds, along with a team-high two steals. Rice posted 15 points, on 6-of-12 shooting, including 3-of-4 from behind the 3-point line. She also added a team-high five assists and two rebounds. 
 
Deshawna Harper led three Alabama A&M players in double figures with a game-high 23 points, along with six steals, two assists and a pair of rebounds. Dariauna Lewis recorded 19 points, four boards, one steal and one assist, while Jasmine Stanley came off the bench to provide 10 points, three rebounds and one assist.
 
How It Happened
Florida A&M started strong with a 6-0 run to begin the game, but Alabama A&M answered with an 8-2 run, capped by Deshawna Harper free throw tying the game at 8 with 5:26 left in the first period.
 
Alabama A&M took a 21-12 advantage with a 13-4 run over the next three minutes after a jumper by De'Asia Thomas with just over two minutes remaining in the quarter.
 
However, Florida A&M closed the first period strong with an 8-2 run as Alaina Rice scored on a layup right before time expired to cut the margin to 23-20 at the end of one quarter.
 
The Lady Bulldogs turned a three-point first-period lead into a 15-point advantage by the middle of the second as Dariauna Lewis sank a jumper to give Alabama A&M a 39-24 advantage with 5:48 left in the half.
 
Florida A&M trimmed the margin to 39-29 after a layup by Shalaunda Burney-Robinson with 1:58 left, but Jasmine Stanley's layup gave Alabama A&M a 41-29 lead heading into the half.
 
The Lady Bulldogs extended the lead to 57-34 after a 3-pointer by Harper with 5:29 left, but the Lady Rattlers refused to go away and trimmed the deficit to 58-41 after a free throw by Morgan Mitchell with 33 seconds remaining in the third.
 
Florida A&M next got any closer than 17 points in the final period as Alabama A&M picked up the win.
 
Inside the Numbers
> Florida A&M shot 42.6 percent (20-of-47) from the floor and 46.7 percent (7-of-15) from the charity stripe
> Alabama A&M was 30-of-60 (50.0 percent) from the field and 12-of-17 (70.6 percent) from the foul line
> FAMU registered 33 rebounds, with 21 coming off the defensive glass
> AAMU pulled down 32 rebounds, with 13 coming on the offensive end
> The Rattlers finished with 16 points in the paint, 16 bench points, 13 points off 19 AAMU turnovers and 11 second-chance points
> The Lady Bulldogs registered 44 points off 33 FAMU turnovers, 32 points in the paint, 19 bench points, 15 second-chance points and 10 fastbreak points
 
Up Next
Florida A&M will take eight days off before returning to the hardwood as the Lady Rattlers will visit LSU for its final non-conference game of the season on Saturday, Dec. 28. Tip-off against the Tigers is set for 1 p.m.
 
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