NORFOLK, Va. – (Mar. 5) – In a matchup against the No.5 seeded Howard Bison (12-18) and the No.12 seeded FAMU Rattlers (7-23), the Lady Rattlers ousted the Bison 69-64 in the second game of the MEAC Basketball tournament at the Scope Arena in Norfolk,Virginia.
After a shaky first quarter, the Rattler defense gained momentum and propelled the team during the decisive second quarter, retreating to the locker room for halftime leading by 10 points, and having forced 13 Bison turnovers.
Shakeyrra Morrison lead all scorers and contributed a double-double with 19 points and 11 boards for FAMU. Dawn King caught fire from the three point arc with 18 points.
“Anytime Shakeyrra scores it’s a bonus," said head coach LeDawn Gibson. “Shakeyrra said yesterday in practice, ‘We’re not going home'. She put the team on her back, and went out there and gave it her all."
King spoke to her dominant performance.
“I was just doing what my coaches told me. I know the past couple of games, my shot hasn’t been how I wanted it to be. I knew if I made my shots today, it would help the team," she said.
In the third quarter, the Bison made a 14-4 run and deadlocked the score at 45. Back-to-back three pointers from Florence Ouattara placed the lead back with the Rattlers at 61-55.
The fourth quarter was back and forth as FAMU and Howard traded runs to the lead. The score remained stagnant for several nervous possessions until Ecenur “E” Yurdakul knocked down two free throws and gave the Rattlers a 66-62 lead. The Lady Rattlers, determined to drive to the basket, knocked down critical free throws to remain ahead down the stretch.
With .07 seconds remaining in regulation, Howard called a timeout they did not have, resulting in a two-shot technical foul and possession of the ball for the Rattlers, resulting in the 69-64 final.
Looking ahead, coach Gibson spoke to the team’s next contest. “We have something to prove against Savannah State. It’s a revenge game for us so we’re going to go out and do what we need to do against Savannah as well,” she said.
The Lady Rattlers will rest for two days and take on the Savannah State Tigers Thursday at 2p.m. for the conference semifinals.
