DOVER, De. — The FAMU Women’s Basketball team pushed Delaware State to the limit here Saturday afternoon, but eventually fell to the Hornets, 61-53 in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play at Memorial Hall.
Saturday’s setback was the seventh straight loss for FAMU (4-19, 2-10 MEAC), while Delaware State improved to 11-12 overall and 7-3 in the MEAC.
THE LEADING LADIES
Graduate center Shalunda Burney-Robinson turned in her seventrh (7th) double double of the season, pulling down a career high 21 rebounds to go with her game-high 26 points.
Corey Staples and Asia Royster added six points each, while Alaina Rice finished with five points. Kailya Jackson added six rebounds for FAMU.
Tiera Floyd led the Hornets with 13 points and five rebounds. DeMaurea Moore added nine points and five rebounds, with Lyric Turner finishing with nine points as well.
HOW IT HAPPENED
FAMU led after the first quarter, 18-15, but hit a cold shooting streak, which allowed the Hornets to surge past them with a 21-9 run, to seize the high ground at 36-27 by halftime.
The Rattlers, led by Shalunda Burney-Robinson, scored the first four points of the third quarter to pull with five points at 36-31 with 6:17 left.. FAMU actually edged the Hornets, 12-11 in scoring in the third, but trailed 47-39 after three.
Just as they did in the first and third periods, FAMU struck first, scoring the first two points of the fourth to close to six points, as 47-41 on a pair of Asia Royster free throws. A Staysha Allen jumper closed the gap to 50-45 with 7:26 left.
A Burney-Robinson jumper with 4:38 left cut the DSU lead to four at 47-51, but the Rattlers would get no closer, going scoreleless for two minutes, giving the Hornets a chance to build a 55-49 edge with under two minutes to go.
A Janasia Law three-pointer with 1:23 left pushed the Hornets ahead 58-49, then Law added a foul shot with 53 seconds left to make it a 10-point game, 59-49.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
^ FAMU shot 39.3 percent from the floor overall (23 of 56) to 39.7 percent (23 of 58) for Delaware State.
^ Neither team had much luck shooting from distance, as FAMU hit 5 of 19 for 26.1 percent, to DelState’s 23.5 percent on 4 of 17 long shots.
^ FAMU owned a big edge in rebounding, 47 to 31, and they hurt their cause with 30 turnovers, which led to 33 points for DelState.
WHO’S GOT NEXT?: FAMU leads south down U.S. 13 to Princess Anne, Maryland for a Monday evening bout with the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore at the Hytche Center. Tip time will be 5:30 p.m.
