Florida A&M University’s men’s basketball team lost 62-57 to Texas Southern on Saturday in Tallahassee. The Rattlers, now with an 8-13 overall record and 5-5 in conference play, saw significant contributions from their bench, which scored 28 points during the game.
Micah Octave led Florida A&M with a double-double, recording 18 points and 10 rebounds. Antonio Baker added 11 points and four steals, while Kaleb Washington contributed eight points. The Rattlers out-rebounded Texas Southern by a margin of 38 to 33, including collecting 17 offensive rebounds that resulted in five second-chance points.
Defensively, Florida A&M forced Texas Southern into 15 turnovers and blocked five shots as a team. Miles Ndalama led the team individually with two blocks.
The game started with Florida A&M trailing 16-8 before they went on a six-point run to close the gap. By halftime, the Rattlers had taken a narrow lead at 31-30, helped by strong bench play that contributed nearly half of their first-half points.
In the second half, Texas Southern regained control and secured the win with a late comeback. Despite capitalizing on seven turnovers for eight points in the final period, Florida A&M was unable to maintain its lead.
Coach Charlie Ward’s team will look to regroup after this close contest as they continue their season.
