Florida A&M men’s basketball was close to capturing a signature victory in its home finale Monday.
However, the Rattlers (13-15, 10-7 in SWAC) faltered to the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s leader, Southern Jaguars (19-10, 14-2 in SWAC) 73-70 at the Al Lawson Center.
FAMU trailed by as much as 13 points to the Jaguars but pulled ahead late in the second half. The Rattlers had an opportunity to force overtime, but FAMU guard Sterling Young’s potential game-tying three-point attempt didn’t fall.
The loss dropped FAMU to No. 7 in the SWAC standings a week before the league’s 10-team tournament in Atlanta.
“We knew we’d be ready for them. I think we’ll be more ready for them when we play them again in Atlanta,” FAMU head coach Patrick Crarey II said in the postgame press conference. “I think we pose some problems for them. For us, it’s about executing and finishing games.”
FAMU outrebounded Southern 35-30. The Rattlers lost the turnover battle 13-5.
Free throws also hurt the Rattlers as they shot 16 of 31 from the charity stripe.
“That was the difference in the game. There’s not much we can do,” Crarey explained. “You miss that many points; you’re just missing possessions.”
Young led the Rattlers with a game-high 20 points and added three rebounds.
FAMU guard Milton Matthews scored 18 points and contributed four rebounds and three assists. FAMU forward Ja’Derryus Eatmon also was key for the Rattlers with 11 points and three blocks.
The Rattlers close their home slate with a 9-3 record at the Al Lawson Center.
Next for the Rattlers is their regular season finale versus rivals Bethune-Cookman at the Moore Gymnasium in Daytona Beach this Saturday. The Wildcats (15-15, 12-5 in SWAC), ranked third in the SWAC, hosted and defeated Grambling State on Monday 78-71.
The Rattlers versus Wildcats tips off at 5:30 p.m. on B-CU’s CatEye Network via YouTube.
“It’s going to be a battle down there. I like rivalry games,” said Crarey, previewing FAMU versus B-CU. “I think we’ll be ready to play.”
Gerald Thomas, III is a multi-time award-winning journalist for his coverage of the Florida A&M Rattlers at the Tallahassee Democrat.
Follow his award-winning coverage on RattlerNews.com and contact him via email at GDThomas@Tallahassee.com or on the app formerly known as Twitter @3peatgee.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida A&M men’s basketball falls in home finale vs SWAC’s best Southern
