photo courtesy @FAMU_MBB Instagram
After a challenging season opener against Kansas State, Florida A&M’s men’s basketball team returned home Monday and claimed its first victory, a dominating 95-70 win over LeMoyne-Owen College.
MJ Randolph followed up a 27-point, seven-rebound, six-assist performance at Kansas State with a 21-point, 10-assist, nine-rebound performance. Randolph added four steals and was 9-16 from the floor.
His jumper had a crisper release to match his elevation. Randolph delivered clean passes to go along with his scoring. In transition, he threw lasers and no-look tosses that got Rattler fans out of their seats.
Kyndal Perry, a senior business administration student, feels good about the team’s outlook this season.
“I am very confident in the team’s ability this season,” she said. “I am also confident in MJ’s ability to lead this team. He has shown on and off the court that has that leadership ability.”
Against a Division II team, this was a rout. Nonetheless, there were visible signs of FAMU’s ability to protect the goal.
The Rattlers made it an uphill battle for LeMoyne-Owen all evening, from pinned shots on the backboard to rapid rotations. They restricted the Magicians to a 45 percent field goal percentage, with seven steals and blocked shots.
Jeremiah Pruitte, a FAMU student and enthusiastic fan, wanted to see 100 on the scoreboard.
“I really was hoping that we got 100 on the board. We were close and had the chance to, but we misses two late in the closing minutes.” Pruitte said. “Overall, the team played well. They played a complete game, and I’m looking forward to the rest of the season.”
The final score on the scoreboard wasn’t the only topic of conversation during this game. The Rattlers wore their all-white uniforms with a LeBron James logo on them. The logo appeared on the upper left of the shirt and on the right side of the shorts.
The side stripes on these jerseys are orange and green. The players’ surnames are listed above their numbers on the backside. A rattlesnake and the court inside the Lawson Center are both depicted in grey. It went well with apparel and sneakers that were a mix of grey, green and white. Orange shoelaces completed the look for the Rattlers.
Taylor Allen, a freshman business administration student, was excited to see the team win its first home game in the new uniforms.
“The all-white is my favorite. It felt good sitting in the stands watching the team dominate in their new uniforms sponsored by LeBron James,” Allen said.