TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Miya Giles-Jones anchored the effort with a commanding presence on the glass, hauling in 10 rebounds to go along with eight points, but the Florida A&M Rattlers women's basketball fell 57–37 to the Alabama A&M Bulldogs women's basketball at home Thursday night. 

The Rattlers battled throughout, with Tahnyjia Purifoy pacing the offense with 11 points, while Camille Jackson provided a spark off the bench with seven. Florida A&M controlled the boards overall, passing Alabama A&M 44–41 behind Giles-Jones' double-digit effort.  

Defensively, Florida A&M applied steady pressure, forcing 15 Bulldog turnovers and turning those opportunities into eight points. Shaniyah McCarthy led the defensive charge with two steals, helping set the tone on that end of the floor. 

How it Happened 

After falling behind 4-3, Florida A&M went on a 6-0 run with 4:28 left in the first quarter, culminating in a bucket from Jackson, to take a 9-4 lead, a score that would hold for the rest of the period. Florida A&M got a great contribution from its bench in the period, as non-starters accounted for four of its nine total points. 

The Rattlers could not maintain their lead in the second quarter and entered halftime trailing 27-14. 

The Florida A&M Rattlers women's basketball continued to compete after the break, but entered the fourth quarter trailing 40–26. Despite the deficit, the Rattlers found success attacking the rim, scoring eight of their 12 third-quarter points in the paint and battling inside to generate quality looks. 

In the final frame, the Alabama A&M Bulldogs women's basketball extended their lead to 45–27 before Florida A&M answered with a determined 5–0 surge to cut the margin to 45–32 with 4:38 remaining. The Rattlers showed resilience down the stretch, connecting on two three-pointers in the quarter to account for six of their 11 points. Alabama A&M responded late to secure the 57–37 final, but Florida A&M's fight and effort never wavered. 

Game Notes 

• The Rattlers held the Bulldogs to only 34.6 percent shooting from the field. 
• Florida A&M recorded a 44-41 rebounding advantage. 
• The Florida A&M defense forced 15 turnovers. 
• Florida A&M cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 14 offensive boards in the game. 
• Tahnyjia Purifoy led the Rattlers with 11 points. 
• Florida A&M got a team-high 10 rebounds from Miya Giles-Jones.