Florida A&M’s men’s basketball team added a second loss to its record on Monday against the Stetson Hatters 78-60.
Senior forward Yannick Crowder, ending the game with 13 points and five rebounds, led the Rattlers.
“In the first half, we came out with intensity and at halftime, we got a little satisfied. Basketball is a game of runs and we didn’t bring that energy,” Crowder said. “As soon as we took a step back, they took over the game.”
FAMU’s defensive edge resulted in six steals and one block in the first half. The teams’ defensive pressure also caused 15 turnovers in the first half.
FAMU head coach Clemon Johnson said the team lost simply because it couldn’t make high percentage shots.
“Look at the game stats. It’s not that Stetson’s defense was stellar, we just weren’t making open shots,” Johnson said. “What’s puzzlingly me is that in practice and in shoot-a –rounds, we are making everything. I hate to say it’s the lights, but we started out shooting okay and suddenly couldn’t make any open shots.”
Johnson said Rattler defense was another cause of the team’s loss.
“When we stop making baskets, you see our defense getting softer and softer,” Johnson said. “When we let the other team score, that leads to frustration on offense.”
Sophomore guard Avery Moore, the Rattlers second leading scorer, ended the game with ten points and two steals.
When asked to evaluate his team’s performance, Moore said (the team) could have played much harder and, with a little more effort, could have won the game.
“All my shots felt real good, and they just weren’t going in,” Moore said. “I really don’t know what happened. We tried our best to get ready for them. We watched film and we practiced hard…I just think they wanted it more than we did tonight.”
The Hatters shot 45 percent from the field in the first half of their 18-point victory. The team continued offensive success from the floor in the second half, shooting 55 percent from the three-point line.
Stetson was led by 6’9″ junior center Adam Pegg, with a game high 15 points.
The Rattlers are preparing to take a four-game road trip, beginning with the Providence Friars. The next home game will be Dec. 5 against the Allen Yellow Jackets.