In the last home game of 2012, the Florida A&M Lady Rattlers couldn’t escape late game execution and sloppy ball control as they fell to the Southeastern Louisiana Lady Lions 62-59 Saturday night.
The loss was disheartening for the team, as it led for the majority of the game but couldn’t close down the stretch.
Junior Jasmine Grice led the way in scoring for the Lady Rattlers, dropping 17 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Grice registered her first double double of the season. Fellow junior Cristal Lirano also scored 15 points.
Grice said the team started out playing hard but it did not finish the game playing hard. She also said that the effort was there.
The Lady Rattlers seemed to have all the momentum after a 11-0 run gave them the biggest lead of the ball game midway through the second quarter.
However, the Lady Lions would outscore the team 23-11 over the 12 minutes of play.
FAMU did exchange baskets with their opponents late in the second half, as a Grice jumper tied the game at 59 with just over two minutes remaining. After that, the team committed several turnovers and couldn’t grab the rebound on a key missed free throw to give them a shot to tie the game.
Lady Rattlers head coach LeDawn Gibson said that the missed opportunities to grab the late rebounds cost the team.
“I don’t think we are scrappy enough and at the end of the game it showed,” Gibson said.
This loss marks the fifth straight for the Lady Rattlers. It was also the eighth straight game where they couldn’t shoot over 40 percent from the field.
The team was able to make it to the foul line and convert 17 of their 20 shots. The Lady Rattlers also forced the Lady Lions into 21 turnovers.
Junior Kimberly Sparkman, who scored 11 points, said that the team is going to work before their next game to stop their current skid. Sparkman is a
“We are just going to have to go to practice and work hard,” she said. “We got things to improve on and we see that. And we will be able to have some players that’s out now that can suit up in the upcoming games”
The Lady Rattlers will have a break for finals week, before they travel to face the Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs next Sunday.