Florida A&M

Rattlers return to Al Lawson to host Presbyterian

12/2/2024 5:12:00 PM

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. –– The Florida A&M Rattlers (1-5) return to the Al Lawson Center to host Presbyterian (5-4) on Tuesday night after falling to Clemson 58-86 in their last outing. The Rattlers look to snap a four-game losing streak against Division I opponents.

Milton Matthews leads the Rattlers' offense with 11.5 points per game, followed by Sterling Young with 10.8 ppg. Shaqir O'Neal has been efficient, shooting 51.3% from the field while contributing 9.2 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.

The Blue Hose presents a balanced attack led by the duo of Kory Mincy (13.8 ppg) and Kobe Stewart (13.7 ppg). Presbyterian has been strong from three-point range, shooting 39.8% as a team, which will test FAMU's perimeter defense that has allowed opponents to shoot 35.4% from beyond the arc.

A key battle will be on the boards, where FAMU has struggled with a -6.8 rebounding margin. They must contend with Presbyterian's frontcourt of Jonah Pierce (7.0 rpg) and Jaylen Peterson (6.9 rpg).

The Rattlers' offense has shown capability from three-point range, ranking first in the SWAC with 28.2 attempts per game. However, they'll need to improve their efficiency (33.1%) to keep pace with Presbyterian's potent offense, which averages 75.6 points per game.

One bright spot for FAMU has been their bench production, averaging 35.7 points per game, which ranks 15th nationally. Jordan Chatman has provided a spark from the perimeter, shooting 45.5% from three-point range.

The Rattlers will need to take better care of the basketball, as they're averaging 15.3 turnovers per game while forcing just 8.67 – a margin that ranks 354th nationally. Presbyterian has been more balanced in this area with a positive turnover margin.

This game represents an opportunity for FAMU to build momentum before conference play, but they'll need to improve their defensive efficiency after allowing 88.2 points per game through their first six contests.

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