TALLAHASSEE, Fla. --The Florida A&M women's basketball team went into the half beating Alabama State 30-29, but could not hang on in the second half and fell 62-59 to the Lady Hornets at home Saturday.
The Rattlers (7-19, 6-9) had four players score in double figures, led by Shaniyah McCarthy, who had 14 points and six rebounds. Breazia Robinson tacked on 10 points and seven rebounds and Camille Jackson chipped in as well with 10 points and two blocks off the bench.
Robinson pulled down three offensive rebounds to pace an offense that racked up second chance opportunities for Florida A&M, grabbing 10 boards and turning them into seven second chance points.
The Florida A&M defense held Alabama State shooters to just 39.1 percent from the field, including 28.6 percent from three-point range. The Rattlers also kept Shamya Reid to 4-of-14 shooting in the game.
How It Happened
After falling behind 8-2, Florida A&M went on a 10-0 run with 5:03 left in the first quarter, culminating in a three from Jackson, to take a 12-8 lead. The Rattlers then added one point to that lead by the end of the period and entered the quarter break with a 17-12 advantage. Florida A&M capitalized on nine Alabama State turnovers in the period, turning them into five points on the other end of the floor.
The Rattlers maintained their lead in the game's second frame and entered halftime with a 30-29 edge.
Alabama State then took a 48-38 lead following intermission before Florida A&M went on a 5-0 run to trim its deficit to 48-43 with five seconds to go in the third, a score which remained until the end of the third quarter. Florida A&M took advantage of seven Alabama State turnovers in the quarter, scoring six points off of takeaways.
Alabama State kept widening its lead in the fourth, constructing a 53-45 advantage before Florida A&M went on a 6-0 run, finished off by Robinson's layup, to shrink the deficit to 53-51 with 6:24 to go in the contest. Alabama State responded and outscored the Rattlers the rest of the way, ending the game with a final score of 62-59. Florida A&M took advantage of its opportunities in the post, scoring 10 of its 16 points in the paint.
Game Notes
» The Rattlers held the Lady Hornets to only 39.1 percent shooting from the field.
» The Florida A&M defense forced 24 turnovers.
» Florida A&M cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 10 offensive boards in the game.
» Shaniyah McCarthy led the Rattlers with a game-high 14 points.
» Florida A&M got a team-high seven rebounds from Breazia Robinson.
