Box Score

NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State women's basketball team could not find the late game magic for the second contest in a row, as Florida A&M defeated the Spartans, 81-72, Monday evening at Joseph Echols Hall.

Despite a career-high 23 points from junior Sarah Daily, NSU (6-6, 0-3 MEAC) was not able to get any closer than 72-70 as the game waned into the last few minutes of play. Florida A&M (6-8, 2-1 MEAC) got another solid night from the MEAC's leading scorer, Tameka McKelton, who tallied 25 points.

Along with Daily's night, junior Whitney Long and freshman Rae Corbo reached double digits with 14 and 12 points, respectively. Sophomore Recca Trice had a solid game with seven assists and four steals, while sophomore Marian Brooks grabbed nine rebounds.

Jasmine Grice added 13 points for the Rattlers, and Antonia Bennett posted a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Qiana Donald led all players with 11 rebounds.

Despite shooting 53.1 percent in the first half, NSU cooled in the second stanza and hit 42.2 percent for the game. FAMU connected on 45.8 percent for the game, including a 7-of-21 effort from the 3-point line. The Rattlers also had a 20-of-26 effort (76.9 percent) from the free throw line, while NSU was just 13-of-20 (65.0 percent).

The Rattlers also had a 38-35 edge in rebounds, and despite committing one less turnover than the Spartans, FAMU led NSU in points off turnovers, 26-17.

FAMU connected from long range early on to take the quick lead, jumping out to a 14-4 advantage with 16:34 to go before NSU was forced to call a timeout. Christian Rateree hit three of the team's four 3-pointers during that span. The frantic pace continued after that short break, and the Rattlers pushed the lead into double digits, 17-6, just over four and a half minutes into the game.

NSU cut the deficit to six at 21-15 on Daily's short, five-foot jumper off the glass near the baseline to end a short, 9-4 run. The Spartans then got even closer, 24-22, on Long's 3-pointer from the wing, part of a 10-2 run.

Long then tied it up, 28-28, with another 3-pointer, the ninth combined trey between the two teams up to that point. After Daily hit a pair of free throws with 4:42 left, Long gave NSU its first lead of the game on a fastbreak layup with just over four minutes left for a 32-31 lead.

The pressure defense and turnovers continued for both teams, as Corbo hit a fastbreak layup, got fouled and sank the ensuing free throw to make it 35-31 NSU. The Rattlers tied it back up at 37-37 with 1:33 to go on Bennett's lay-in, and used one last underneath bucket to take a 42-41 lead into the half.

Long and Daily had 12 and 10 points, respectively, in the first stanza, while McKelton posted 11 for the Rattlers. FAMU was 7-of-15 from 3-point land in the first half, while NSU shot 53.1 percent overall from the floor.

After FAMU got the lead to five points less than a minute into the second half, Daily tied it up at 46-46 with a strong drive to the hoop at the 16:38 mark. Neither team could get more than a two-point lead for the next several minutes until sophomore Batavia Owens came into the game and asserted herself with several rebounds and baskets for a 60-54 NSU lead with 10:15 remaining.

A 12-0 run that lasted 3:44 from that point forward by the Rattlers made it 66-60, and Daily finally ended the run with a 3-pointer from near the top of the arc. The Rattlers, though, pushed the lead back to six points, 70-64, as NSU committed several fouls on the defensive end to send FAMU to the line.

A strong play down low by Daily led to a 3-point play that cut the deficit to two, 72-70, with just over three minutes left in the game, but NSU went cold from the floor, and FAMU got the lead back to seven, 77-70, with just under a minute left.

Long hit a jumper from 10 feet out in the middle of the paint for a 77-72 FAMU lead, but the Rattlers sank their free throws the rest of the way and held NSU at bay for the 81-72 win.

The Spartans will make the trek across the bay to face rival Hampton next Saturday at 4 p.m.