A strange season took a solid turn upward Sunday night for the Lady Rattlers.
‘Instead of losing back-to-back games for the second time in three weeks, the Lady Rattlers battled back from a nine-point halftime deficit to defeat the Coppin State Lady Eagles, 74-72.
This season has been one of highs (defeating Florida, South Florida and Alabama) and extreme lows (losing back-to-back to Hampton and Howard). The Lady Rattlers have been plagued with injuries to key starters yet still find ways to scrape out victories.
The women have one of the most dominant post threats in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Qiana Donald is tied for first in the MEAC with 11 rebounds per game. The Lady Rattlers also do not have trouble scoring the ball. Tameka Mckelton, Antonia Bennett and Christian Rateree all average over ten points per game.
Mckelton and Rateree both have put up 20-point games this season.
The talent is there, but the wins are not matching the women’s consistent level of playing. The team is currently 13-8, 5-5 in the MEAC conference. Despite leading the MEAC in rebounding and being in the top five in field goal defense, blocked shots and overall defense, they are sixth in the conference.
There has been an emphasis on “Rattlers’ basketball” all season, and coach Gibson has previously expressed displeasure with the fluctuating level of play. The play continues to fluctuate nonetheless, and with seven games left in the season, time is running out to find corrections.
Satuday’s game against University of Maryland-Eastern Shore will be a key game. The Lady Rattlers lost their last game against the Lady Hawks 47-43 after turning the ball over eight times in the last five minutes of the game.
To prove how far they have come since that mistake-ridden performance, the Lady Rattlers will have to defeat Eastern Shore on the road. The team has to prove they are as talented as the statistical sheets and box scores show.