Women’s team is back in the win column – The Famuan

The Florida A&M women’s basketball team secured a dominant 88-60 victory over Mississippi Valley State on Thursday. 

Sabou Gueye led the way for the Rattlers, finishing as the game’s leading scorer with an impressive 20 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 assists.

The victory improved FAMU’s overall record to 5-10 and improved their SWAC record to 2-2, marking a pivotal bounce-back win for the Rattlers after dropping two consecutive conference games. Mississippi Valley State fell to 2-14 overall and 1-4 in conference play.

The defense set the tone for the night as the Lady Rattlers came out firing in the first quarter, outscoring the Delta Devils 30-12. 

The early lead proved pivotal as FAMU carried momentum through the remaining three quarters. The Lady Rattlers’ defense forced 18 turnovers, including six blocks and eight steals, while holding Mississippi Valley State to just 29.2% shooting (19-65) from the field.

Zikeyah Carter also played a significant role, recording a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds while going a perfect 6-for-6 from the field. 

Reflecting on the team’s performance, Carter acknowledged how two early losses in conference play served as a wake-up call for the Lady Rattlers to refocus on the goals they set for the season.

“I believe that taking those two losses built character,” Carter said. “And we really needed to be humbled at a time. I’m just glad that we came back in the gym to work and got a dub today.”

Eve Alexander, who chipped in eight points and four rebounds also spoke on regaining momentum in the SWAC and where she feels the Lady Rattlers rank among teams in the SWAC conference.

“I think that we needed some momentum coming off of these two losses,” Alexander said. “We could have taken those and taken W’s with those. We just need some momentum, so after this, I feel like we’re gonna take this win, keep it going, and go on a little streak again. I feel like personally, we’re the best team in the SWAC, so we’re gonna come out and dominate these next few games and the ones after that and go to the tournament and show everybody who we really are.”

Alexander says the Lady Rattlers approached this game with a certain hunger and mindset from the very beginning and spoke on the internal competitiveness that the Lady Rattlers have and their mindset before games.

“We are always going to come out on the court wanting to win more than the other team,” Alexander said. “That’s what we’re programmed to do with Coach Bridget, but we’re all a very competitive group of girls. We all want to win.”

The Lady Rattlers will have little time to celebrate their victory, as they face a quick turnaround.

They will host Arkansas Pine-Bluff back in Al Lawson on Saturday at 4 pm. The Golden Lions are still searching for their first win in conference play as they have started 0-4 in the SWAC.