The Rattler basketball team (7-19, 5-7 MEAC) added a second loss during its three-day road trip, as it fell 76-57 to Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference leader Savannah State (17-10, 10-2 MEAC) Saturday night in the Tiger Arena.
The Rattlers committed 21 personal fouls, which resulted in the 15 points for the Tigers from the free-throw line.
“They were a good team with good defense,” sophomore forward Reggie Lewis said. “We allowed too much dribble penetration and could have worked on personal fouls committed. We always want to keep teams off the free-throw line, especially when we are on the road.”
FAMU struggled on the offensive end shooting 36.4 percent (24-of-66) from the field and 18.7 percent (3-of-16) from three-point range.
Senior forward Yannick Crowder, who ended the game with 13 points and two blocks, said the team should display more awareness on defense in order to win more games in the future.
“We have to get more mentally focused and remember our defensive values from practice,” Crowder said. “We are capable of better play. We have to put more emphasis on defensive principles and we can move on and beat South Carolina State next game.”
The Rattlers gained the advantage early in the first half but fell victim to strong offense by the Tigers down the stretch. FAMU entered halftime with a 38-29 disadvantage.
Difficulties would continue for the Rattlers after halftime, as the Tigers went on to seal the victory.
The Tigers ended the game shooting 47.4 percent (27-of-57) from the field, 38.9 percent (7-of-18) from beyond the arc and 68.2 percent (15-of-22) from the charity stripe.
Nathaniel Drayton and Avery Moore were the next leading scorers for the Rattlers, as they each finished with nine points.
Savanna State was led by junior forward Rashad Hassan with a game-high 23 points, five of which came from the free-throw line. Deric Rudolph supported with 20 points, while Cedric Smith chipped in eight rebounds.
The Tigers are now on a nine-game winning streak, the longest streak in the MEAC this season.
The Rattlers will prepare to end their road trip with a victory against the 13th rank South Carolina State Bulldogs on Monday in Orangeburg, S.C. at 7:30 p.m.