The Florida A&M men’s basketball team spent Thanksgiving in Las Vegas preparing for a tournament Friday. The Rattlers played three games, earning their first victory of the season against Presbyterian College.
Jamie Adams, a junior agribusiness transfer student, had two of his best games this weekend. Adams had 26 points and three assists against Longwood University in an overtime loss and 23 points, seven steals, five assists and four rebounds in the win against Presbyterian. Adams leads the team in points, assists and steals.
“It was a weight lifted off my chest,” Adams said.
The team was ecstatic after beating Presbyterian 69-55. FAMU made progress offensively. The Rattlers executed the new offense more efficiently than they did in games prior to this tournament.
Markee Teal, a fourth-year criminal justice student from Ocala, also played well in the tournament. Teal leads the team in rebounding and set a personal season-high with 14 rebounds against Longwood.
“Jamie (Adams) played like a big dog,” Teal said. “We made a point to focus on defense.”
Teal had nine points and five rebounds against Presbyterian. Jamari Bradshaw, a third-year criminal justice student from Louisville, Ky., added 12 points and shot 2-of-3 from beyond the arc for the Rattlers.
The Rattlers lost the first game of the tournament to Arkansas 89-60. The team did not shoot well and struggled on defense.
The second game of the tournament against Longwood went into overtime with FAMU falling 86-83. Tristan Carey, a Longwood guard, shot 7-of-9 from the 3-point line and had a career-high 30 points. Nik Brown, another Longwood guard, also had a career-high with 21 points.
The Rattlers were excited about getting their first win and will look to build on their victory. The team’s next game is Thursday against University of North Florida at 7 p.m.