Women's Basketball MEAC Media Relations

FAMU WOMEN STING ALABAMA STATE, 69-47

The Florida A&M Women's Basketball team put on a torrid shooting display in the first half and rode that early momentum to a 69-47 non-conference home win over Alabama State Saturday afternoon in Gaither Gymnasium.

Florida A&M (3-1) led 37-28 at the break, despite shooting 50 percent (15 of 30) from the floor and a blistering 58.3 percent (7 of 12) from three-point range.

The visiting Lady Hornets (1-3) shot 40.7 percent in the first half, closing the early deficit to nine points by halftime.

Senior Stephanie Foster (13) and freshman Antonia Bennett (10) sparked FAMU in the opening half, as three times they held leads as large as 14 points.

FAMU led 37-23 with 2:35 left, but a missed shot and a pair of turnovers, opened the door for Alabama State, which got a three-pointer at the 1:16 mark and a tip-in at the buzzer by L'Teisha Holloway to trim the halftime count to nine points, 37-29.

Both teams cooled off considerably in the second half, with FAMU shooting 30.3 percent (10 of 33) while Alabama State managed a tepid 16.1 percent (5 of 31).

The Lady Rattlers were still able to outpunch the visitors in the final stanza, 32-19, aided by 12 ASU turnovers, as FAMU to pushed the final margin to 22 points.

ASU hung close though through the first 10 minutes of the second half, closing to within six points, 45-39 on a pair of free throws by Tanika Jackson with 10:15 left.

From there, FAMU closed out the Lady Hornets, as the quintet of Foster, Bennett, Deidra Jones, Tameka McKelton and Jarquella Woods all contributed to a 14-0 run in a four-minute span that staked them to a 59-39 lead with 6:38 left.

Foster finished the game with a game-high 19 points and seven rebounds, cashing in a trio of three-pointers, while Bennett added 16 points and Woods tossed in 11 points, as each knocked down a pair of triples.

Shanice Merritt led ASU with 10 points, followed by Holloway with nine points along with Assaunta Fulgham and Tanika Jackson with eight points each.

WHAT'S NEXT: Florida A&M will return to the court in Gaither Gymnasium next Saturday, hosting Bethune-Cookman in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opener at 5:00 p.m.... Monday, they will take on the University of Miami in a 7:00 p.m. road clash in Coral Gables, Florida.