After a slow start and lack of rhythm late in the second half, the Florida A&M women’s basketball team (11-5, 4-0 MEAC) managed extend its winning streak to eight games, capping a 55-50 victory Saturday against Savannah State (6-10) in the Al Lawson Center.
The Lady Rattlers came out on top, but this was their second-closest win all season because of struggles on offensive.
In the first half, FAMU shot 26.9 percent from the field and 25 percent from the three-point line. From the free-throw line, it shot efficiently at 80 percent.
The team scraped out a win, but head coach LeDawn Gibson said players could have done better.
“We played good enough for us to win but nobody played great,” Gibson said after the game. “I am glad we won. Just to be able to come out with a victory, that’s important.”
Gibson said the team had a flat practice the day before the game and that it carried over into game time. Next game, she said it would be focused and ready to play.
Jasmine Grice led the team into halftime with seven points, four rebounds and four steals. Tameka McKelton and Antonia Bennett followed closely, chipping in six each.
The Lady Tigers finished the first half with 17.9 percent shooting (5-of-28) from the field and 70 percent shooting (7-of-10) from the free throw line.
During the second half, Bennett scored seven points, bringing her total to 15. She would also finish the night with a game-high 13 rebounds and two steals.
“Not the best game, we didn’t match their intensity,” Bennett said. “[We] played enough to get out there and get the win but we have a lot of work to do in practice leading up to the next game, lot of improvement.”
Grice finished the game with 13 points, six rebounds and four steals. McKelton supported the offense with a team-high 16 points on 5-of-14 shooting from the field on the night.
On the game, the Lady Rattlers shot 30.2 percent (16-of-53) from the field, 71.4 percent (20-of-28) from the line and 21.4 percent (3-of-14) from three-point range.
For the Lady Tigers, Ezinne Kalu ended with a game-high 25 points, eight rebounds and four steals. As a whole, they finished with 26.2 percent from the field, 41.7 percent from the three-point line and 72.2 percent from the foul line.
The Lady Rattlers will return to action Monday, Jan. 16, as it will go head-to-head with South Carolina State in the Al Lawson Center at 5:30 p.m.