[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Rattlers’ slow start Saturday night pushes the North Carolina Aggies out front 75-68.
FAMU (7-16, 3-7) battled with the Aggies (8-18, 5-6) for the majority of the first half. It was a 27-31 Aggie lead with 2:03 remaining in the half.
North Carolina went on an 8-0 run closing out the first half, holding a 27-39 lead at the break.
Slow starts in the first half have become a trend for FAMU, where they dig themselves into a hole too deep to escape from, followed up by a second half performance in which they play like a completely different team.
Saturday night was no different. FAMU was only able to score 27 points in the first half, followed by 41 in the second. Freshmen guard Justin Ravenel made back to back three pointers to make it a 68-60 game with just .41 seconds remaining.
Ravenel finished the game with 16 points, shooting 71% from behind the perimeter. Malcolm Bernard contributed 12 of his own with eight rebounds.
FAMU then started fouling and the Aggies would make 9/10 from the free throw line to finish the game. The Aggies were lead by guard Sam Hunt’s 18-point outing, making all eight of his free throws, and forward Ede Egharevba’s 13 points and eight boards.
Florida A&M will now turn their attention to their Florida rival, Bethune-Cookman, who beat the Rattlers 88-56 in Daytona in their last meeting. The matchup will take place on Saturday at 6 P.M.
