The Lady Rattlers fought hard and put up a great effort but still fell prey to the Coppin State Eagles 85-64 Monday night at Gaither Gym.
Coach Debra Clark said the game was very tough.
“Their team has so much depth with their size and speed,” Clark said. “They noticed our lack of depth and capitalized on each mistake.”
The Lady Rattlers made mistakes throughout the game, and the Lady Eagles made the most of each one. Coppin State started its streak of double-digit points early with an 11-point lead with 10:01 remaining in the first quarter.
In an effort to close the point gap, FAMU’s Joslyne Jackson, Denise Tate, Q’ Vaunda Curry and Kristen Stallings took the Lady Rattlers on a 20-10 closing run. By the end of the first half, FAMU recovered within one point and ended the half 33-32.
Jackson, a guard, and Thyeis Halley, a forward, led the first half for the Lady Rattlers with Jackson scoring 8 points and Halley scoring 6. Rashida Suber and Danielle Anders led the Lady Eagles. Both scored eight points.
In the second half FAMU came back tough, but the Lady Eagles continued to dominate. Within the first four minutes of the game, Coppin State increased its lead by 10 points.
As the game continued the Lady Eagles increased their lead. In spite of the lead, the Lady Rattlers continued to push the ball, but Coppin State’s advantage grew to 20 in the final six minutes of the game.
Clark said FAMU put up a good fight.
“The effort was good,” she said. “We fought really hard, but by that time the damage had already been done.”
Key player injuries forced Clark to play some of the athletes who were seated on the bench.
Jackson, 22, said the team played hard and stayed positive but needed to learn how to finish.
“Since we are a veteran team anyone who comes on the court will be able to contribute,” said Jackson, a health science student from Georgia. “My performance was up and down. I plan to continue to practice harder every day and remain focused.”
The next game is Saturday against Delaware State University.