Just one day after securing their second win of the season, the Florida A&M men’s basketball team (2-6, 1-0 MEAC) has announced the postponement of their next three games.
The Rattlers were scheduled to take on South Carolina State today, the second in a two-game series. The university said it made this decision due to COVID-19 concerns within FAMU’s men’s basketball program.
Although the cancellation of the next three games creates a gap in the Rattlers’ schedule, they came out strong against the Bulldogs on Sunday night. With a 70-68 victory, the Rattlers were able to extend their home winning streak to nine.
MJ Randolph led the team with 21 points, 5 assists and 13 rebounds. Three out of five starters — Johnny Brown, Bryce Moragne and DJ Jones — also put up numbers for the Rattlers, scoring in double figures.
During the last few seconds of the game, Randolph was able to capitalize on defense, pressuring the Bulldogs offense from scoring.
“We just fixed a few mistakes we made in the first half. The first thing is energy, that’s something we have to come out with,” Randolph said in a post-game interview.
During this close game the Rattlers shot 49.1 percent from the field while the Bulldogs shot 40.3 percent. The Rattlers hit 30 percent of their three point attempts (6-of-20) and the Bulldogs hit 29 percent (7-of-24)
“The first half we sort of hung our heads for a little bit, started feeling sorry for ourselves. We got going in the second half, the first offensive possession we expected them to be zoned and Bryce gets a dunk. Fans or no fans that kind of ignites you,” head coach Robert McCullum said in a post-game interview.
Until the Rattlers hit the court again the university said it will continue to keep the safety of athletes its top priority.
“Florida A&M Athletics is committed to ensuring the safety of all student-athletes and staff and is adhering to all safety protocols in addition to conducting contract tracing,” the athletic department said in statement.
The Rattlers will look to resume their season play on January 23. They will play a total of six games in February.
Attempts to contact the head coach or assistant coaches about the current state of the basketball team and their status regarding COVID-19 were unsuccessful.