Florida A&M University’s women’s basketball team will travel to Alabama this week for two key Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) matchups. The Rattlers are scheduled to play Alabama State on Thursday, January 29 in Montgomery at 7 p.m. ET, followed by a game against Alabama A&M in Huntsville on Saturday, January 31 at 3 p.m. ET. Both games will be broadcast on SWAC TV.
The Rattlers have relied on generating free-throw opportunities and winning the possession battle through turnovers and rebounds to remain competitive in close games. Florida A&M currently leads the SWAC in free-throw percentage at 68.9%, is third in free throws made per game with 13.39, and fourth in attempts per game with 19.44.
Tahnyjia Purifoy has been a key contributor for the team, ranking second in the conference with an 81% free-throw percentage and leading the SWAC with 68 total free throws made. She also stands fourth in assists per game at 3.3, providing valuable playmaking for the offense.
Defensively, Breazia Robinson ranks fourth in blocks per game (1.06), giving Florida A&M a presence inside that can disrupt opponents’ shots near the rim.
However, challenges remain for the Rattlers, who are ninth in field-goal percentage (35.2%) and tenth from three-point range (23.2%) within the conference. The team also averages 18.8 turnovers per game—third most in the league—and holds a negative rebound margin of -4.6.
In their first matchup against Alabama State, Florida A&M faces a team known for strong defense and rebounding; Alabama State leads the SWAC by holding opponents to just 38% shooting and collects more rebounds than any other team (41.06 per game). The Hornets also average a league-best 27.4 defensive rebounds each contest.
Alabama State’s main vulnerability is its foul rate; they are last in SWAC free-throw percentage (57%) and near the bottom nationally for fouls committed (22.4 per game). “If the Rattlers can force contact, Purifoy’s reliability at the stripe becomes a major equalizer,” according to Florida A&M’s analysis.
The second road test comes against Alabama A&M—a balanced squad that leads the conference both defensively (allowing only 59.6 points per game) and offensively with a scoring margin of +3.0 points per contest while shooting a league-high 39.2% from the field.
Alabama A&M also tops all teams with an average of 22.16 free-throw attempts and forces over twenty turnovers each outing (20.11), making ball security crucial for FAMU: “Against a team that forces turnovers at that rate, FAMU’s 18.8 turnovers per game is the danger stat.”
For both contests, controlling possessions through reduced turnovers, improved rebounding performance, and steady production from the free-throw line are highlighted as keys to keeping games close or pulling off wins on the road.
“Tahnyjia Purifoy’s control: her assist rate (3.3 APG, 4th in SWAC) and free-throw efficiency (81%) are the two most reliable drivers of FAMU offense,” states Florida A&M’s preview materials.
“Breazia Robinson at the rim: her shot-blocking (1.06 BPG, 4th in SWAC) is critical against two teams that want paint points and offensive boards.”
The upcoming games represent an important opportunity for Florida A&M as they seek to improve their standing within conference play by focusing on execution around possession management and capitalizing on their strengths at getting to—and converting from—the foul line.
