Rattlers pull off close victory against Bears

Courtesy of Florida A&M Sports Information

Florida A&M University Rattlers defeated the Morgan State University Bears Saturday night  in a 72-65 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference victory.

The Rattlers pick up their second MEAC win in a hard fought battle that came down to the last minute after gaining a lead on the Bears 62-59. They sealed the victory by making 10 free throws in a row.

Head Coach Byron Samuels was very pleased with the way his young team played against the Bears.

“It’s great to get this victory,” Samuels said.

Samuels was also impressed by the crowd of 2,679.

“I would commend our fans, I thought our fans were incredible tonight, and I was certainly thankful for that and hope they continue to come out.”

Junior forward Treavann Warren and freshman forward Isaiah Omoregie both led the team with 15 points. Omoregie hit back to back layups with 1:32 left in the game that allowed the Rattlers to power through.

Small Forward Malcolm Bernard completed the game with 12 points, eight assists, five rebounds and five steals.

The Rattlers are 6-12 for the season, which is an improvement from their 2-27 finish from last year. Samuels said that the team is moving in the right direction.

“I think our recruiting has been good and I think our players have continued to listen and understand and pay attention to what we’re trying to teach them,” Samuels said.

He knows the process will take time and feels like it is all starting to show in the team’s performance this season far.

“Just like it takes time to deliver a baby, it takes time to get there in terms of building a basketball program. I think we’re awful close, but we want to do it the right way. Step by step, little by little, each and every day and not cut any corners in the process,” Samuels said.

Morgan State was led by forward Cedric Blossom, who scored 18 points and went 9-10 for the night.

The Rattlers return to Al Lawson on Monday, Jan. 18 to take on Coppin State in another MEAC matchup at 8 p.m.