TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Dec. 10) – The FAMU Women’s Basketball team let a shot a victory slip away Sunday afternoon, as the North Florida Ospreys rode a late first quarter surge to an eventual 77-68 win over the Rattlers at the Lawson Center.
FAMU led 11-2 on a jumper by Shalunda Burney Robinson with 5:42 left in the first quarter, before UNF began climbing back into the game, taking a 15-14 lead at the end of the period on a pair of free throws by Maiya Rumph.
The game remained tight in the second quarter with two ties before the Ospreys regained the lead and led by as much as six points, 38-32 on a pair of Ty Purifoy foul shots with 58 seconds left in the half. Burney-Robinson’s layup with 54 seconds left sliced the UNF edge to four points, 38-34 at the half.
Foul troubles dogged the Rattlers too, as two players – Florence Ouattara and Mikayla Thomas – fouled out, while three other players finished with three or more fouls.
The foul situation really hampered the aggressive, high energy Ouattara, who was limited to 15 minutes of play on Sunday.
Her dynamism was missed in the second half, especially the third period, when she picked up her third and later fourth fouls. UNF took advantage, outscoring FAMU, 27-16, to take a 65-50 lead into the final stanza.
In the fourth, FAMU did make a bit of a surge, outscoring UNF, 18-12, but the deficit proved too big for the Rattlers.
Burney-Robinson led FAMU with 16 points and nine rebounds, while Ouattara added 12 pointsthree rebounds and three assists. De’Ayra Davis chipped in nine points, while Ama Arkoful and Dy’Manee Royal each finished with seven points.
WHAT’S NEXT: FAMU (2-8) will break for Fall finals, then return to the court Dec. 21 at Miami of Ohio, and Dec. 22 at Xavier University in Cincinnati.
