It was a total team effort Monday night as the Rattlerettes(9-15, 5-10 MEAC) defeated the Hornets of Delaware State(9-15, 6-9 MEAC) 71-47 in Gaither Gym.
Led by Phaedra Mashburn’s 22 points, the Rattlerettes shot 41.3 percent from the field and 65 percent from the line in their win.
“I think they played well as a unit. We only had 17 turnovers so that was a big factor” said Rattlerette head coach Debra Clark.
Coming off a four game losing streak, the Rattlerettes knew that this was a must win game.
“We knew that it’s the end of the season and we need all four wins to get a good seed in the conference” said freshman guard/forward Candace Crawford.
The Rattlerettes dominated Delaware State from the beginning of the game.
Terrana Pyfrom got the tip for the Hornets but quickly turned the ball over. Mashburn made the first shot of the game at 19:07 off an assist by Neisha Cameron.
At 12:18, the Hornets committed their seventh turnover.
Nina Dixon stole the ball from Delaware State’s Jennifer Dewitt.
Crawford took a feed from Cameron and hit a three pointer making the score 18-0.
Delaware State shot 32.1 percent from the field and turned the ball over 24 times.
“I wasn’t very pleased by the way we played ball. To make no excuses they just beat us in all categories” said Ed Davis, head coach of the Hornets.
The Hornets scored their first point of the game at 11:22 when Dixon fouled Raven Mallard who shot 1 of 2 from the free throw line.
Delaware State was unable to score from the field until 9:15 when Mallard made a lay-up off an assist from Pyfrom.
With 3:32 remaining in the first half, Crawford blocked a Delaware State jumper and handed the ball off to Mashburn who made a lay-up at 3:16 bringing the score to 29-11.
Tanise Thomas hit a three pointer at the buzzer making the score to 36-18 at the half.
The Hornets got the first possession in the second half but were unable to get a shot off.
Watson pulled down the board and hit a jumper increasing the Rattlerette lead to 20 at 19:06.
Delaware State’s Lauryn Smith made a jump shot at13:58 cutting the FAMU lead to 13.
Smith, in turn, missed a jumper at 9:56, Watson grabbed the rebound and handed the ball off to Shelcey Harp who assisted a three pointer by Crawford at 9:38 bringing the score to 51-35.
With 3:01 remaining in the second half, Desire Abrams made a lay-up increasing the Rattlerette lead to 30, 69-39.
The Rattlerettes begin a two game road trip Saturday against Coppin State and face Morgan State Monday.
“All these games are important and I think this win gives us the momentum that we need to go to Maryland and win” said Clark.