Florida A&M

Rattlers to take on tough SMU team Thursday night

11/6/2024 6:59:00 PM

DALLAS, Texas –– Florida A&M Rattlers face a challenging road game in Dallas as they take on the SMU Mustangs on Thursday. Coming off a difficult start to the season, the Rattlers will look to leverage their strengths and address critical areas against a high-powered SMU squad.

After one game, the bench was a bright spot early in the season, ranking 35th nationally and first in the SWAC, with 45 points per game from our reserves. The Rattlers showed a want to shoot from three, ranking 25th in the nation with 34 three-point attempts per game.

The Rattlers will need to improve their offensive efficiency against the Mustangs. Currently shooting 33.3% from the field and 23.5% from three-point range, the Rattlers face an explosive SMU team in their opener, scoring 96 points on 54% shooting. The Mustangs have also been disruptive defensively, forcing 23 turnovers per game, which ranks 11th nationally.

FAMU Players to Watch:
- Sterling Young leads our scoring attack with 16 points
– Milton Matthews struggled in the opener, shooting 2-11, but looks to bounce back
- Saiyd Burnside was active on the offensive glass (3 offensive rebounds) and efficient from the free-throw line (88.9%)

The Challenge:
SMU's Boopie Miller poses a significant threat, scoring 21 points while shooting 42.9% from three-point range in their opener. He also had an excellent 7.0 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Keys to the Game:
1. Protect the basketball against SMU's pressure defense
2. Improve our shooting efficiency, particularly from three-point range
3. Continue to get productive minutes from our bench unit
4. Control the tempo to limit SMU's fast-break opportunities (they had 28 fast-break points in their opener)

This will be a challenging game for the Rattlers as they play another Power 4 program, but if they can execute in these key areas and get their shooting back on track, they can compete against a strong SMU squad.

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