Florida A&M University’s men’s basketball team secured a 60-58 victory over Florida Memorial at State Farm Field House in Orlando on Saturday. The win marks the first for Charlie Ward as head coach of the Rattlers.
Kaleb Washington led Florida A&M with 12 points and seven rebounds. Miles Ndalama contributed 11 points, while Antonio Baker added 10 points and four steals. The team’s bench played a significant role, scoring 19 points.
Tyler Shirley was key on the boards, collecting four offensive rebounds and totaling a game-high 12 rebounds overall. Florida A&M gathered 11 offensive rebounds, which resulted in nine second-chance points.
Defensively, the Rattlers forced 14 turnovers from Florida Memorial, converting those into 20 points. Baker’s four steals were notable among individual performances.
The game saw Florida A&M take an early lead after an eight-point run late in the first half. Jaquan Sanders capped that stretch with a basket to give the Rattlers a double-digit advantage before halftime. At the break, Florida A&M led by three points, having scored most of their first-half points in the paint.
In the second half, Florida Memorial briefly took a one-point lead before Florida A&M responded with another run to regain control. Despite pressure from the Lions late in the game, the Rattlers maintained their edge to secure their first win of the season.
Afterward, Coach Charlie Ward commented on his inaugural victory: “The team executed well under pressure and showed resilience throughout.”
Game notes highlight that Florida A&M limited its opponent to just over 30 percent shooting from the field and edged out Florida Memorial on rebounding by two boards.
