FAMU: Non-Conference Warriors

By Roscoe Nance
MEACSports.com

The Lady Rattlers (7-3) are the talk of the MEAC after a trio of nonconference victories against Florida and Alabama of the highly regarded SEC and South Florida of the Big East Conference.

"It's good for them to do what they are doing before conference (play begins),'' North Carolina A&T women's coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs says. "It's an eye opener. It says you better be aware of what's going on at FAMU. They are part of major conference. For FAMU to do what they are doing is great. It says a lot of about Coach (LeDawn Gibson) and what she is capable of doing. It is bringing attention to the conference. I'm happy for them.

Anytime you can put your name out there and represent the conference, I'm happy. I say keep on winning.''

All of the Lady Rattlers' losses are against teams from power conferences - Missouri of the Big 12 and Auburn and Kentucky of the SEC.

"We're making a statement that we can compete against bigger schools,'' Gibson says.

"That means a lot to the FAMU program, the FAMU family and the coaching staff. We've been very competitive in every game. This is a recruiting tool.''

The Lady Rattlers opened the season with a 73-68 overtime victory at South Florida. The real stunner came when the beat Florida in Gainesville, Fla.

Gibson says friends and well-wishers have repeatedly reminded her of the importance of the victories against Florida and Alabama. Even though she understands the impact beating a pair of SEC schools has on how Florida A&M is perceived in the basketball world, Gibson keeps the wins in perspective. Once the hype is over, each counts as one victory in the W column, the same as their wins against Bethune-Cookman, Albany State and Savannah State.

"I go into every game hoping to win and trying to coach to the best of my ability,'' she says. "I'm excited to win. I go in to win, I don't care who it's against.''

Florida A&M's fast start even is more impressive considering that Gibson this is only her second season as coach of the Lady Rattlers of a youthful squad. The roster includes just two seniors, Deidra Jones and LaShonda Gaines, and six freshmen.

Gibson came to Florida A&M after a highly successful career at Winter Haven (Fla.) High, where she had a 3331-48 record in 12 seasons. Her teams were ranked No. 1 in Florida for nine straight seasons, won two state championships and reached the state finals five straight years. She produced 27 college players, including 12 who played for Division I programs. Two of her players were named Florida's Miss Basketball.

The Lady Rattlers concluded the 2008-09 season with a 14-17 overall record a year ago. It was during the 2009 MEAC tournament that Florida A&M that the Lady Rattlers advanced to the semifinals and served notice to the rest of the conference that they would have to deal with the Lady Rattlers down the road.

"The dedication and commitment the girls have been giving and their ability to adjust has been the key,'' Gibson says. "I'm not saying I didn't expect this because we have a really talented group. When you have a group that refuses to lose and is talented and committed, these things happen.''

Sophomores Tameka McKelton, Antonia Bennett and Qiana Donald form the Lady Rattlers' nucleus. McKelton is the sixth-leading scorer in the MEAC at 13.8 points a game. Bennett is 11th with 11.8 points and second in three-point field goal percentage (.457) while making 16-of-35 attempts from beyond the arc. She also averages 6.0 rebounds. Donald is tied for the top spot in rebounding with 10.8. She has had the MEAC's two highest single-game rebounding totals this season with 19 boards against Bethune-Cookman and 17 against Alabama.

"There has been a lot of carryover from last season,'' Gibson says. "That has been key, them learning from their first year of college basketball. They have matured so much as basketball players and people.''

Gibson, however, says Jones' leadership and scoring will be missed. Her 33 points in the Lady Rattlers' 69-65 loss at Missouri are the conference's single-game high for the season.

"Having someone to tell the younger players 'This is how you should do it' is always big help,'' Gibson says. "I don't feel we can fill that void. The younger players are going to have to come out of their shell and step up.''

Jones, in her fifth-year in the program, is undergoing physical therapy rather than having surgery and could return to in time for the 2010 MEAC tournament.

The Lady Rattlers hang their hats on defense. They only allow 62.4 points a game, third-best in the conference, and lead the conference in field goal percentage defense, holding opponents to 35% from the floor.