The FAMU men’s basketball team (12-15, 8-7) dropped a key conference game to Howard University (3-20, 2-12) 89-71, on President’s Day in Washington.
With the loss, the Rattlers are now tied for sixth place with the Norfolk State University Spartans in the 11-team MEAC.
The Rattlers, who’ve lost four of their last five conference games, were down 53-40 at the half and could never catch up with the hot shot Bison, who shot 53 percent from the field on the day.
The win stopped the bleeding for the Bison, as it snapped their season-long 14-game losing streak.
Freshman forward Eugene Myatt led the way for Howard, scoring 22 points on 11 of 18 shooting from the field. Junior guard Darek Mitchell followed Myatt with 19 points and guard Will Gant chipped in 16 points for the Bison.
Senior Tony Tate did his best to keep the Rattlers in the contest. The 5 foot 11 point guard from Jersey City, N.J. scored 24 points on 9 of 19 shooting from the field in 37 minutes of play. Junior Brian Green recorded his third straight double-double registering 16 points and 11 rebounds in a losing effort.
The Rattlers will have a chance to redeem themselves Saturday when they face conference leading and defending champion Delaware State University Hornets at 4:30 p.m. in Gaither Gymnasium.
The Lady Rattlers succombed to the same fate as their male counterparts.
The Lady Bison of Howard University (12-11, 9-5 MEAC) defeated the FAMU Lady Rattlers (9-15, 5-10 MEAC) 64-62 on Monday in Burr Gym. Junior center Ifeoma Onuaku finished with 25 points and 13 rebounds. Onuaku’s 25 points topped all scorers.
Freshman forward Denise Tate chipped in 14 points and grabbed 16 rebounds. Tate’s 16 rebounds led both squads.
The Lady Rattlers did not connect on any of their 15 three-point attempts.
Overall, the team shot 33.8 percent from the floor. Despite struggling from the field, the Lady Rattlers held a decisive advantage on the glass. FAMU finished the contest with a 65-41 margin in rebounds.
Freshman guard Deidra Jones was the third player to reach double figures in rebounds; she finished with 10. At intermission, the Lady Rattlers led 26-23. Offensive miscues proved costly for the team, as they finished with 29 turnovers.
The Lady Bison scored 26 points off turnovers.
The Lady Rattlers return to action in Gaither Gym Saturday. The Delaware State Lady Hornets (16-8, 10-5 MEAC) visit the capital city for the 2 p.m. contest.
Monday’s loss slid the Lady Rattlers to ninth place in the conference. The squad looks to change its recent fortunes in Saturday’s game.
A win over DSU would halt a three game losing streak.
Contact Nick Birdsong and John W. Marshat thefamuansports@hotmail.com