Alabama A&M Survives Late Florida A&M Push to Advance in SWAC Tournament

Despite Florida A&M’s early dominance, Alabama A&M used a strong second half and timely scoring down the stretch to secure a 72–68 victory over the Rattlers in SWAC Tournament action. The win improves the Bulldogs to 22–9 overall and 17–1 in conference play, advancing them to Friday’s 11 a.m. EST matchup against the winner of Southern vs. Jackson State.

Florida A&M controlled the early momentum behind strong defense and second-chance scoring. The Rattlers forced early turnovers and converted them into points when Miya Giles-Jones scored in the paint after a steal to give Florida A&M the first basket of the game. Alabama A&M answered with free throws from Jaida Belton and a second-chance layup by Coriah Beck to briefly take the lead, but Florida A&M quickly responded as Camille Jackson knocked down a three-pointer and Giles-Jones added another basket inside. Late tip-ins from Zana Justice and Brooklyn Swann extended Florida A&M’s advantage as the Rattlers closed the quarter with a 15–8 lead.

Florida A&M extended its lead early in the second quarter when Justice scored on a turnaround jumper and Jackson added a layup off an assist from Tahnyjia Purifoy to push the lead to double digits. The Rattlers appeared to be in control midway through the quarter when Cornelia Ellington connected on a three-pointer to make the score 27–14. Alabama A&M began to shift momentum late in the quarter as Coriah Beck sparked the Bulldogs with a second-chance basket and free throw while Aniya Palmer and Kaila Walker added key baskets to help cut into the deficit. With just 21 seconds remaining in the half, Walker knocked down a three-pointer off a turnover to tie the game at 30–30. Florida A&M had a final chance before the break, but Ellington’s three-point attempt missed as the teams entered halftime tied.

Alabama A&M carried its late first-half momentum into the third quarter. Aniya Palmer opened the period with a pull-up jumper in the paint to give the Bulldogs their first lead of the game since the early minutes. Walker added two free throws and later connected on a three-pointer to extend Alabama A&M’s advantage. Florida A&M struggled from the perimeter early in the quarter but remained within reach as Ellington connected on a jumper and Shaniyah McCarthy contributed from the free-throw line. Alabama A&M continued to attack the paint as Moses Davenport converted a second-chance tip-in and Palmer added another layup in transition to push the Bulldogs ahead by eight. Late in the quarter, Florida A&M began to respond behind defensive stops and transition scoring as Purifoy scored on a fast-break layup and added free throws to help the Rattlers trim the deficit. By the end of the quarter, Alabama A&M held a narrow 48–46 lead.

The final quarter featured several lead changes as both teams battled down the stretch. Alabama A&M opened the period with a turnaround jumper from Palmer before Walker added two free throws to extend the Bulldogs’ lead. Giles-Jones answered for Florida A&M with a series of second-chance baskets to keep the Rattlers within striking distance. Midway through the quarter, Walker delivered one of the biggest plays of the game, knocking down a three-pointer and completing a four-point play to give Alabama A&M a 60–53 advantage. Florida A&M responded with a run of its own behind McCarthy and Ellington, with Ellington knocking down a second-chance three-pointer to give the Rattlers a 61–60 lead before McCarthy followed with another three to extend the advantage to four.

Alabama A&M remained composed in the final minutes. Palmer scored on a turnaround jumper and then tied the game at 66–66 with a fast-break layup following a turnover. With under a minute remaining, Vanessa Wimberly knocked down a pull-up jumper in the paint to give the Bulldogs a 68–66 lead, and Walker added a driving layup with 26 seconds left to extend the lead to four. In the closing seconds, Alabama A&M committed an offensive foul when Walker was called for a charge with nine seconds remaining, giving Florida A&M one last opportunity. However, the Rattlers were unable to convert as Purifoy’s three-point attempt missed and Alabama A&M’s defense held firm to secure the 72–68 victory.

The Bulldogs will move on to play the winner of Southern vs. Jackson State on Friday at 11 a.m. EST.