GAINESVILLE, Fla. (FAMU ATHLETICS) — The Florida A&M men's basketball team got a 19-point performance from the bench, but fell 102-62 to the Florida Gators on the road Wednesday.
The Rattlers (1-5) had two players score in double figures, led by Byron Smith, who had 20 points and two steals. Jaylen Bates tacked on 14 points and Hantz Louis-Jeune added eight points and seven rebounds.
Led by Louis-Jeune's four offensive rebounds, Florida A&M did a great job crashing the offensive glass, pulling down 12 boards that resulted in 11 second chance points.
How It Happened
Florida A&M struggled out of the gate, falling behind 50-31 heading into halftime.
Florida kept widening its lead after intermission, constructing a 100-55 advantage before Florida A&M went on a 5-0 run, finished off by Richard Mathews' three, to shrink the deficit to 100-60 with 39 seconds to go in the contest. The Rattlers were unable to cut further into the deficit by the end of the game, losing 102-62. Florida A&M got a boost from its bench in the period, as non-starters accounted for nine of its 31 total points.
Game Notes
» The Rattlers shot well from three point range, knocking down eight of 18 long range attempts.
» The Florida A&M bench came alive by adding 19 points to its scoring output.
» Florida A&M cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 12 offensive boards in the game.
» Byron Smith led the Rattlers with 20 points.
» Florida A&M got a team-high seven rebounds from Hantz Louis-Jeune.
