TALLAHASSEE, Fla. --Tahnyjia Purifoy recorded 6 steals and Cornelia Ellington followed suit with 5 more. The Florida A&M women's basketball team knocked off the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats 66-60 at home on Thursday to close the regular season.
Purifoy and Ellington's great efforts led the Rattlers in the contest. Purifoy tacked on nine points and nine assists, Ellington added six points, and Shaniyah McCarthy also recorded a team high with 14 points and seven rebounds.
Miya Giles-Jones pulled down three offensive rebounds to pace an offense that racked up second chance opportunities for Florida A&M, grabbing 12 boards and turning them into six second chance points.
The Florida A&M defense was effective at taking away the basketball, forcing 20 Bethune-Cookman turnovers, turning into 18 points on the offensive end of the floor. Purifoy's six steals led the way individually for the Rattlers. Ultimately, the Rattlers closed out the regular season and senior night with a dominate performance.
How It Happened
Florida A&M started out the scoring by going on an 8-0 run, culminating in a bucket from Giles-Jones, to take an early lead with 6:47 left in the first quarter. The Rattlers then maintained that lead and entered the quarter break with a 22-14 advantage. Florida A&M did most of its first quarter damage in the paint, scoring 18 of its 22 points close to the basket.
The Rattlers maintained their lead in the game's second frame and entered halftime with a 37-30 edge.
Florida A&M wasted no time building on its lead, going on a 5-0 run to expand their lead further to 42-30 with 9:05 to go in the third. Before the conclusion of the third period, the Wildcats had cut into that lead somewhat, but the Rattlers still entered the fourth quarter with a 54-45 edge.
The Rattlers then held on for the victory in the fourth quarter. Florida A&M took advantage of eight Bethune-Cookman turnovers in the quarter, scoring five points.
Game Notes
- Florida A&M tallied 15 total assists in the game.
- The Rattlers got six steals from Tahnyjia Purifoy and five more from Cornelia Ellington.
- The Florida A&M defense forced 20 turnovers.
- Florida A&M cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 12 offensive boards.
- Shaniyah McCarthy led the Rattlers with a game-high of 14 points.
