Eyes on the prize: Live blog

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5:25

The girls need to win this game.  Statistically this game will not make or break their season.  Morally, they need to decimate a weaker team and get some confidence up.  These girls have been plagued by injuries and minor mistakes that costed them the game and now they need to prove that they are the same team that beat the Gators earlier this year.

To that end, injured guards Deidra Jones and Christian Rateree are putting their health aside and stepping into their starting roles agin.  Jones put together quite a performance against the Hawks on Saturday, even without her knee fully cooperating with her.  Rateree is returning after missing her last game versus the Hawks.

The Hornets are a team that struggles on the road.  Nine trips outside of Delaware, nine losses.  They also average only 48 points per game, well under the Rattlers 59. 

Tonight I am looking for Qiana Donald to step up and be the dominant player we’ve come to know and love.  She was not bad against the hawks with 12 rebounds.  I have come to expect more offense production out of her though, and she only had one point.

From Delaware State I am expecting production from Selena Galloway.  She is the team’s leading scorer with 11 points per game.  Plus she is wearing one of the awesome masks that seem to grant super powers to players that wear them.  Call me superstitious.

5:33

Three minutes into the game and we finally have our first two scores.  Antonia Bennet got the first bucket after being left alone in the post.  I do not know, I’m concerned that we had to wait three minutes for some scoring to happen.

5:35

They score once and now they just can’t stop.  Delaware State has a nice halfcourt game set up.  They’re spreading the court and attacking Deidra when she can’t get help along the baseline.  Good strategy, pick on the injured girl.

4-4 with 15:27 left in the half.

5:40

Allow me to correct a mistake I made.  Christian Rateree will not be playing in this game.  She kind of threw a fake-out my way, warming up with the rest of the team, she was even dressed.  Now she’s on the bench in jeans.  Surprise.

In game news, the Rattlers are being choked to death by the Lady Hornets’ defense.  The Lady Hornets are flying all over the place.  They’re agressive, fast and they have great communication.   Qiana Donald is also in some early foul trouble.

10-2 run by the Lady Hornets.  They incidentally have some amazing perimeter shooters in Stephanie Brush and Alexis Abraham.

6-14, DSU with 11:45 left in the half.

5:52

I love the call by coach Gibson to switch up the defensive look.  You stop a spread offense by staying home, ensuring there’s always help when a player gets beat.  A 2-3 scheme is working like a charm.   Sadly the offense is having trouble putting the ball in the hoop.  The defense can only stop the Hornets for so long.  Scoring every 3 trips is better than not scoring at all. 

Brush is an extremely effective point guard.  Six points and three assists by my tally so far.

8-19, DSU with 6:03 left in the half.

6:05

It’s been about 10 minutes since the last update.  See my previous update if you want to know exactly what’s been going on.  Nothing has changed except the score.

12-24 DSU with 40 seconds left in the half.

6:12

Halftime.

Score FAMU 14 DSU 26

Rebounds FAMU 26 DSU 18

Assists FAMU 3 DSU 4

Turnovers FAMU 13 DSU 7

6:33

Well you have to love when halftime works to your advantage.  The Lady Rattlers seem calmer, and they’re making life a bit harder for the Lady Hornets.   Qiana Donald decided she’s not going down without the Lady Hornets knowing she was one the court.  In less than four minutes she has 4 four points, three rebounds, an assist and she has taken a charge.

Granted, she came up kind of dizzy from that charge, but it’s basketball.  She’ll be fine.

23-28, DSU with 16:21 left in the game.

6:38

If I was not sitting here watching this game, I would not believe what was going on.

Back to back threes by McKelton and what can only be described as an insane shot from Bennett and the Rattlers are in the middle of a 19-4 run.

33-30, FAMU with 12:50 left in the game.

6:49

The Hornets are starting to look as flustered and confused as the Lady Rattlers did in the first half.  The communication that was in the first half in now long gone and the Rattlers are taking advantage of the Lady Hornets in every way imaginable.   

The Lady Hornets are getting out played in every aspect of the game.  Their legs aren’t even underneath them anymore.  Brush, the guard that was tearing it up earlier in the game is finding it hard to push the ball up the court. 

We’ve officially shifted gears to Rattlers’ tempo.

41-33, FAMU with 6:54 left in the game.

7:01

Antonia Bennet deserves a game ball and maybe a vacation after this game.  The last eight points scored by the Lady Rattlers belong to her, and she’s almost single-handedly staving off a late game surge by the Lady Hornets.

46-38, FAMU with 2:31 left in the game.

7:11

You know, I was really scared for a minute there.

Game over 53-40 FAMU.