Rattlers slither past Delaware State

Another close finish took place at the Al Lawson Center on Monday as the Rattlers took down the Delaware State Hornets, 68-63.

Florida A&M head coach Clemon Johnson was happy with the win but wants to see his team improve.

“Overall, I would give us a C or B-,” Johnson said. “There were points where you would see us push out the lead to 8 or 9 points, then we kind of relaxed. That’s not how champions do it.”

Johnson wants to see more convincing wins heading toward the end of the season and into to the MEAC tournament in March.

“We have to go into every game with the mentality to win, especially on the road,” Johnson said. “They aren’t going to give you anything.”

In a game with five ties and six lead changes, senior guard Jamie Adams made a corner 3-pointer with 2:07 left in the game to put the Rattlers (10-16, 6-7 MEAC) up 59-56.

Shortly after that, Adams converted on a three-point play to seal the victory. Despite his slow start, shooting only one of six in the first half, Adams finished with a team-high 19 points and six assists.

“Shooting-wise, the first half was rough, but running my team, I think I did a good job,” Adams said. “I made some plays for everyone else early … I have the ball all the time as a point guard, so I know I can take over the game whenever I get aggressive, but as a point guard, I have to pick my spots.”

The win is the second straight conference victory for the Rattlers.

Sophomore forward Trey Kellum is cautiously optimistic about the remainder of the season.

“I feel like we have good team chemistry,” Kellum said. “We have been working hard the last couple of days, putting up shots, working on rebounds and putting emphasis on the defensive side of the ball.”

Up next for the Rattlers is rival Bethune-Cookman in Daytona Beach on Saturday.