TALLAHASSEE, Fla. | Kalia Walker and
Alisha Wilson sank free throws down the stretch as the Alabama A&M University women's basketball team held off a furious fourth quarter rally to pick up a 58-54 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) victory on Saturday afternoon at the Al Lawson Center.
It was a tale of two quarters for Alabama A&M in the second half. The Bulldogs (14-7 overall, 7-2 SWAC) used a 23-point third, shooting 50 percent from the floor, and took a 12-poitn lead into the final period. However, in the final quarter, AAMU went the final 8:01 without a field goal and shot just 11.1 percent from the field.
Wilson paced three Alabama A&M players in double figures with 20 points, including 8-of-12 from the foul line, along with six rebounds, three steals and one assist.
Lauryn Pendleton recorded 18 points, seven boards and three steals, while Walker chipped in 11 points, one steal and one rebound.
Cheyenne McEvans led Florida A&M (7-13, 4-5) with 17 points, six boards and three assists. Sabou Gueye added 15 points, four rebounds, one assist and one steal, while D'Mya Griffin registered 10 points, six boards, two assists and one block.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Alabama A&M jumped out to a 16-6 advantage after a Wilson layup and a
LaCambria Shakespeare free throw with just over a minute left in the opening quarter.
Florida A&M trimmed the margin to 16-11 after one quarter and on the heels of a 13-0 run, took a 19-16 lead after an Ivet Subirats 3-pointer with exactly seven minutes remaining in the second period.
The Bulldogs used a small 8-0 run, capped by a Wilson bucket, as AAMU grabbed a 26-21 advantage with 2:08 left, but the Rattlers answered and tied the game at 26 after a McEvans trey with less than a minute remaining in the half.
Pendleton's free throws with 33 seconds left sent the Bulldogs into the break with a 28-26 lead.
Florida A&M grabbed a 31-30 lead after a Griffin 3-pointer with 8:03 left, but Alabama A&M used a 10-0 run as the Rattlers went more than four minutes without a field goal as the Bulldogs took a 40-31 lead.
AAMU stretched its lead to 51-39 after a three-point play by Wilson ended the third quarter.
Florida A&M opened the final period on an 15-4 run, capped by a McEvans jumper, as the Rattlers closed the gap to 55-54 with 3:23 remaining.
However, Walker and Wilson combined to going 3-for-4 from the foul line during the final 13 seconds, helping the Bulldogs seal the road win.
GAME NOTES
- Alabama A&M shot 36.0 percent (18-of-50) from the floor and 75.0 percent (21-of-28) from the free-throw line
- The Bulldogs grabbed 28 rebounds, including 19 off the defensive glass
- Alisha Wilson registered 20 points, six rebounds, three steals and one assist
- Lauryn Pendleton recorded 18 points, seven boards and three steals
- Kalia Walker chipped in 11 points, one steal and one rebound
- Alabama A&M finished with 30 points in the paint, 26 points off 21 FAMU turnovers, 14 fastbreak points, eight second-chance points and five bench points
- Florida A&M went 22-of-55 (40.0 percent) from the field and 6-of-8 (75.0 percent) from the charity stripe
- The Rattlers grabbed 39 rebounds, with 15 coming on the offensive end
- Cheyenne McEvans tallied 17 points, six boards and three assists
- Sabou Gueye added 15 points, four rebounds, one assist and one steal
- D'Mya Griffin registered 10 points, six boards, two assists and one block
- Florida A&M finished with 28 points in the paint, 15 points off 12 AAMU turnovers, 10 second-chance points, eight fastbreak points and four bench points
UP NEXT
Alabama A&M returns home on Thursday as the Bulldogs play host to Grambling State. Tip-off against the Tigers is set for 6 p.m. from the AAMU Event Center and streamed on Bulldogs All-Access.
For complete coverage of Alabama A&M Athletics, check out the official homepage at www.aamusports.com. Remember to follow us on social media: Instagram
