FAMU basketball returns to the Snake Pit, seeks SWAC doubleheader wins over Texas Southern
Florida A&M basketball returns to the Snake Pit on Saturday.
The Rattlers host the Texas Southern Tigers in a Southwestern Athletic Conference doubleheader at the Al Lawson Center.
The Lady Rattlers (5-15, 4-5 SWAC) tips off against TxSo women’s basketball (4-16, 3-6 SWAC) at 2 p.m. FAMU men’s basketball (4-16, 2-7 SWAC) versus TxSo men’s basketball (8-12, 6-3 SWAC) follows at 4 p.m.
Fans can also watch the FAMU-TxSo SWAC doubleheader on Rattlers Plus.
FAMU basketball last split its SWAC doubleheader at Alabama State on Monday.
The Lady Rattlers beat the Hornets 49-40 behind FAMU guard Ahriahna Grizzle’s 26 points, six rebounds, and three steals.
The graduate student Grizzle earned her second consecutive SWAC Player of the Week on Tuesday.
Grizzle leads the SWAC in scoring, averaging 18.8 points per game. She’s two points ahead of the SWAC’s second-leading scorer, Zaay Green of Arkansas Pine-Bluff.
“You can see the fire and desire,” Rattlers women's basketball head coach Bridgette Gordon said of Grizzle on FAMU’s coaches show. “I think it’s the love for the game she’s found now.”
🚨 𝑺𝑾𝑨𝑪 𝑷𝑳𝑨𝒀𝑬𝑹 𝑶𝑭 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑾𝑬𝑬𝑲 🚨
Ahriahna Grizzle dominates the court like a true MVP with a stellar performance averaging 28.5 pts, 6.5 rebounds, 86% for 3 PT , 3.5 steals, and 3 assists over her last two games 🔥📊 #FAMU | #RATTLERS | #PRESSURE pic.twitter.com/PLKDxvx6o0— Florida A&M Women’s Basketball 🏀 (@FAMU_WBB) February 6, 2024
FAMU men’s basketball lost to Alabama State 62-53. Rattlers guard Jalen Speer led the team with 17 points.
Speer leads FAMU in scoring with 18.9 points per game.
With less than a month to spare, FAMU women’s basketball is eighth in SWAC standings, placing them in the league’s eight-team playoff picture thus far.
If the Lady Rattlers can stack more victories, they could clinch their first postseason appearance since the 2019 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament.
FAMU men’s basketball is in the penultimate 11th spot in the SWAC. The Rattlers last played in the postseason during the 2022 SWAC Tournament.
Information on Texas Southern Basketball
TxSo basketball got swept at Prairie View A&M in last Saturday’s SWAC doubleheader.
The Lady Tigers lost 78-65. TxSo men’s basketball faltered 80-69.
Guard duo Taniya Lawson and Daeja Holmes lead the Lady Tigers, combining for 22.1 points per game.
TxSo forward Jaida Belton also contributes 8.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks averages. Belton is sixth in SWAC rebounding and second in blocks.
A win over the Rattlers could move the Lady Tigers to the eighth spot in the SWAC.
The three-time defending SWAC Men’s Basketball Champions, TxSo, sits in the league’s fourth spot.
The Tigers are predicated on defense, ranked fourth in SWAC defensive rankings.
Alongside leading TxSo by scoring 14.5 points per game, guard PJ Henry also leads the team averaging a SWAC-third two steals.
How to Watch: Florida A&M vs. Texas Southern SWAC Basketball Doubleheader
When: Saturday at 2 p.m. (women's) and 4 p.m. (men's)
Where: Al Lawson Center; Tallahassee, Florida
Streaming: Rattlers Plus
Gerald Thomas, III covers Florida A&M University Athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at gdthomas@tallahassee.com or on the app formerly known as Twitter @3peatgee.
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU Basketball: Rattlers hosting Texas Southern Tigers in SWAC games
