Inside the Al Lawson Center, the past and present of FAMU basketball stood on opposite sidelines Monday night. On one bench, Charlie Ward, the legendary Heisman winner turned first-year head coach, preached patience and poise. On the other, Patrick Crarey II, the man who abruptly left the Rattlers after just one season last April, paced and pleaded with his new team, the Grambling Tigers.
The narrative was rich, but the game was richer. In a contest that felt like a statement, FAMU (5-9, 2-1 SWAC) didn’t just win a game; they announced their arrival under Ward, fending off a fierce challenge from their former coach for a decisive 91-84 victory.
“It’s about our identity,” Ward said postgame, his voice calm but his eyes burning with intensity. “It’s not about who’s on the other side. It’s about us believing in each other and playing our brand of basketball.”
That brand, at least on this night, was built on a torrent of three-pointers and relentless effort. The Rattlers sank 12 shots from beyond the arc, with junior wing Micah Octave catching fire, hitting five threes on his way to a stellar 20-point, eight-rebound performance.
But the engine of the Rattler offense was Jaquan Sanders, a senior guard who was electric, slicing through Grambling’s defense for a game-high 24 points to go with four assists and two steals. Sanders set the tone with a combination of cunning and clutch shooting.
“We knew we had to match their energy, then exceed it,” Sanders said. “Coach Ward has us believing every possession matters. We just stuck to the plan.”
The plan needed a serious adjustment early. Grambling, playing with a clear edge for their new coach, stormed out to a 22-13 lead, threatening to silence the home crowd.
But then, the turn. The Rattlers unleashed a 9-0 run, capped by a tough Sanders finish at the rim that tied the game and sent a jolt through the building. The teams traded blows until the break, with FAMU taking a slim 39-36 lead into halftime, powered by 21 first-half points from long distance.
“That run showed our character,” Ward noted. “Early adversity, and they responded like veterans.”
The second half was a display of control. FAMU never relinquished the lead. Every time Grambling inched closer, the Rattlers had an answer. The dagger came midway through the half—a 7-0 spurt finished by a smooth Tyler Shirley jumper that pushed the lead to 54-44 and gave FAMU a cushion they would protect the rest of the way.
Kaleb Washington provided a massive spark off the bench, chipping in 18 points and helping the Rattlers dominate the glass, 28-24, including a crucial 10 offensive rebounds.
For Crarey, it was a frustrating return. His Tigers fought hard but had no answer for FAMU’s tough defense and potent offensive barrage. “Hats off to them, they shot the ball extremely well,” Crarey said. “We have to be better defensively. It’s a process.”
But the implications of this win echo far beyond a satisfying narrative. On a night of chaos across the SWAC, where five of the top six teams fell, the Rattlers didn’t just win—they catapulted. They leapt from sixth place into a three-way tie for third, suddenly finding themselves in the thick of the early season conference race, pretty good for a team that was voted to finish in the bottom half of the conference.
The statement was made. The past was acknowledged, but the future under Charlie Ward feels brighter than ever. The Rattlers aren’t just playing; they’re climbing.
UP NEXT: The road gets tougher. The Rattlers travel to face the SWAC’s new No. 2 team, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, this Saturday. The statement game is over. The statement season has just begun.