TALLAHASSEE, FL --Cheyenne McEvans and D'Mya Griffin combined to score 35 total points of Florida A&M's points, but the Rattlers fell to the Middle Tennessee Raiders 80-54 at home Tuesday.
McEvans led the Rattlers (0-7) with 24 points, eight rebounds and three steals. Griffin added 11 points and three steals off the bench and Sydney Hendrix chipped in as well with 11 points and two blocks.
Florida A&M did a great job crashing the offensive glass, pulling down 13 boards that resulted in 14 second chance points.
Florida A&M forced 18 Middle Tennessee turnovers. The Rattlers turned those takeaways into 19 points on the other end of the floor. McEvans' three steals led the way for Florida A&M.
How It Happened
Florida A&M struggled out of the gate, falling behind 23-5 at the end of the first quarter.
The Rattlers continued to lose ground in the second quarter and faced a 44-15 halftime deficit.
Middle Tennessee continued to increase its lead after halftime, building a 62-17 advantage before Florida A&M went on a 12-0 run, punctuated by a basket from Ivet Subirats, to trim its deficit to 62-29 with 54 seconds to go in the third. Middle Tennessee countered and stretched its lead to 63-29 heading into the fourth. Florida A&M took advantage of four Middle Tennessee turnovers in the quarter.
Florida A&M narrowed its deficit to 75-46 before going on a 6-0 run to shrink the deficit to 75-52 with 1:22 to go in the contest. Middle Tennessee responded and outscored the Rattlers the rest of the way, ending the game with a final score of 80-54. Florida A&M took advantage of 11 Middle Tennessee turnovers in the quarter, scoring 12 points off of those takeaways.
Game Notes
» Cheyenne McEvans, D'Mya Griffin, and Sydney Hendrix combined to account for 85 percent of the Rattlers points.
» The Florida A&M defense forced 18 turnovers.
» Florida A&M cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 13 offensive boards in the game.
» Cheyenne McEvans led the Rattlers with a game-high 24 points.
» Florida A&M got a game-high eight rebounds from Cheyenne McEvans.
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