Resilient Lady Rattlers stun Alabama, 61-52

The Lady Rattlers came back from 1-14 first quarter deficit to beat the Crimson Tide women, 61-52. With the loss, Alabama drops to 6-5 overall, while the Lady Rattlers up their season standing to 6-3.

Alabama pulled out to a commanding 14-1 lead in the first not allowing Florida A&M to score a basket until the 13:26 mark. But later into the half, the Lady Rattlers took advantage Alabama's shooting problems as they scored 12 unanswered points to close out the first and take a 25-22 lead at halftime.

The two teams traded baskets to open the second before the Tide went on a 5-0 mini run to tie the game at 29-29 at the 16:12 mark. A free throw by Alabama junior LaToya King 50 seconds later put Alabama back in front, and the Tide remained ahead for nearly 10 minutes until Florida A&M connected on a wide-open three-pointer for the 43-42 lead. Alabama senior Tamara Williams put Alabama ahead 44-43, but the lead for the Tide was short-lived as the Lady Rattlers slithered out front with a pair of shots from the charity stripe at 3:55. From that point on, Florida A&M went on a 16-8 run for the duration of the contest, seven of which came from the free throw line.

The homestanding Lady Rattlers were led by sophomore Tameka McKelton with a game-high 20 points, including four three-pointers. Junior Christian Rateree had 11 points, cashing in a pair of triples, while sophomore Qiana Donald turned in a double double with 10 points and a game-high 17 rebounds.

For the game, Alabama shot 30.4 percent, while Florida A&M connected on 36.0 percent of its shots. The Lady Rattlers were solid from three-point range, however, hitting 42.1 percent. In addition, Florida A&M was efficient from the free throw line connecting on 17-of-24 attempts.

"You can't go on the road and shoot the way we did tonight," said Alabama head coach Wendell Hudson.