TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Interstat) — The Alabama State Lady Hornets defeated the Florida A&M Lady Rattlers 62-59 in a Southwestern Athletic Conference women’s basketball game Saturday at the Alfred Lawson, Jr. Multipurpose Center. Alabama State, which improved to 14-12, used a 19-point third quarter to erase a halftime deficit. Charlese McClendon led the Lady Hornets with 12 points and a dominant 21 rebounds. Florida A&M fell to 7-19 despite 14 points from Shaniyah McCarthy. Both teams struggled offensively, with Alabama State shooting 39% from the floor and Florida A&M shooting 36%. The Lady Hornets compensated with a 17-7 advantage in offensive rebounds, creating crucial second-chance opportunities. Alabama State committed 24 turnovers but held Florida A&M to just three made 3-pointers in the narrow victory before a crowd of 1,001.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Interstat) — In a game defined more by grit and second chances than offensive artistry, the Alabama State Lady Hornets leaned on a dominant rebounding performance and a career day from Charlese McClendon to edge the Florida A&M Lady Rattlers 62-59 in a Southwestern Athletic Conference women’s basketball game Saturday. The contest at the Alfred Lawson, Jr. Multipurpose Center, witnessed by 1,001 fans, saw Alabama State improve to 14-12 overall. Florida A&M fell to 7-19. The most important part of the game unfolded not in a single, dramatic shot, but in a relentless, four-quarter effort on the glass that allowed Alabama State to overcome its own offensive struggles. The Lady Hornets, despite shooting just 39.1% from the field and committing 24 turnovers, secured a staggering 17 offensive rebounds. This effort translated into a 40-24 advantage in points in the paint and numerous critical second-chance opportunities that kept possessions alive and stymied Florida A&M’s attempts to build momentum. McClendon, a 5-foot-11 forward from Waycross, Georgia, was the engine of that effort. She delivered a monumental performance, scoring 12 points and grabbing a career-high 21 rebounds, including seven on the offensive end. She added two blocks in 35 minutes, anchoring the Lady Hornets’ defense and controlling the interior. Her previous season high in rebounds was 10, set just 10 days prior. Her counterpart, Florida A&M’s Shaniyah McCarthy, led all scorers with 14 points and added six rebounds. Tahnyjia Purifoy facilitated the Lady Rattlers’ offense with five assists to go with 10 points, while Breazia Robinson contributed 10 points and seven rebounds. The game was a defensive struggle from the outset, with both teams posting offensive ratings below 80. Alabama State finished at 78.9 points per 100 possessions, while Florida A&M managed 76.8. The Lady Rattlers found a slight edge at the free-throw line, making 16 of 27 attempts compared to Alabama State’s 8-of-16 showing, but it was not enough to counter the rebounding disparity. Florida A&M started strong, taking a 17-12 lead after the first quarter behind early free throws from McCarthy and a three-pointer from Camille Jackson. Alabama State responded in the second quarter, chipping away at the lead to enter halftime trailing by just one point, 30-29. The third quarter proved decisive. Alabama State’s defense tightened, holding the Lady Rattlers to 13 points while McClendon and her teammates continued to feast on the boards. A key sequence saw McClendon block a shot on one end, leading to a Shamya Reid three-pointer on the other, part of a 19-point quarter that gave the Lady Hornets a 48-43 lead heading into the final period. Florida A&M refused to fade. A Breazia Robinson jump shot with just over seven minutes remaining cut the deficit to 47-45, and the teams traded baskets in a tense, low-scoring fourth quarter. With Alabama State clinging to a 62-59 lead in the final minute, the Lady Rattlers had multiple opportunities to tie the game. However, a missed three-pointer by Camille Jackson with eight seconds left and a subsequent foul gave Alabama State the ball back. The Lady Hornets then successfully navigated the final seconds to secure the three-point victory. Support for McClendon came from Shamya Reid with 11 points and Caylee Simpson with nine points and five rebounds off the bench. Alanah Pooler also added nine points for Alabama State. According to National Statistical’s ELO system, Florida A&M entered the game with a 52.4% probability to win. Alabama State has now won four consecutive games, including a 75-64 victory over Florida A&M on Jan. 29. Alabama State next plays at Alabama A&M on Feb. 28. Florida A&M travels to face Southern on Feb. 26.

Preview: Alabama State Lady Hornets at Florida A&M Lady Rattlers TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Interstat) — The Alabama State Lady Hornets will look to continue their push for a winning season when they visit the Florida A&M Lady Rattlers in a Southwestern Athletic Conference women’s basketball matchup Saturday at the Alfred Lawson, Jr. Multipurpose Center. Alabama State (13-12, 9-3 SWAC) enters on a positive note, having edged Bethune-Cookman 61-60 on Thursday. The Lady Hornets have won seven of their last nine conference games to climb above .500 overall. A key catalyst has been guard Caylee Simpson, who is averaging 12.8 points over her last five contests. She scored 14 points in the recent win over Bethune-Cookman and had 10 points in the Jan. 29 meeting with Florida A&M, a 75-64 home victory for the Lady Hornets. Florida A&M (7-18, 4-8) seeks to halt a two-game skid and avenge that late-January loss. The Lady Rattlers are coming off a difficult 57-37 home loss to Alabama A&M on Thursday, where offensive struggles were prevalent. Guard Tahnyjia Purifoy remains a focal point for the Lady Rattlers. She scored a team-high 18 points in the first matchup against Alabama State this season and is averaging 13.3 points over her last six games. The Lady Rattlers have shown flashes at home, including convincing SWAC wins over Texas Southern and Prairie View earlier this month. They will need similar efficiency to counter an Alabama State team that has found a rhythm in conference play. Saturday’s contest is the second of two regular-season meetings. A win would give Alabama State a season sweep and solidify its standing in the SWAC table, while Florida A&M aims to split the series and improve its postseason positioning. Tip-off is set for Saturday afternoon in Tallahassee.