In his much-anticipated debut as head coach of FAMU’s men’s basketball team, Charlie Ward watched his Rattlers burst from the gate with energy and purpose, building an early lead against the University of South Florida on Monday night.
That promise, however, was fleeting. The Bulls’ depth and offensive firepower eventually overwhelmed the Rattlers, who succumbed to a 102-67 road loss to open the season.
For the first ten minutes, FAMU (0-1) looked poised to spoil the night for the home crowd. But a 14-0 run by USF late in the first half broke the game open, sending the Rattlers into halftime trailing 47-33, a deficit from which they would not recover.
“We came out with the right mentality, playing hard and together,” said Ward, the former Heisman Trophy winner and NBA veteran who took over the program in the offseason. “But against a good team on the road, you have to sustain it for 40 minutes. We learned some tough lessons tonight about the level of consistency required.”
The Rattlers were led by Micah Octave, who finished with a team-high 16 points and eight rebounds. Tyler Shirley added 14 points, and Jordan Chatman chipped in 11. Despite the lopsided score, FAMU found positives in its defensive activity and effort on the boards.
The team’s defense forced 15 turnovers, and its presence at the rim was felt, tallying five blocks—three of them from Kaleb Washington. Perhaps most impressively, the Rattlers crashed the offensive glass, collecting 11 offensive rebounds that led to 14 second-chance points. Octave was central to that effort, pulling down four offensive boards himself.
“The fight on the glass, that’s effort. That’s something we can build on,” Octave said. “We just have to turn those extra possessions into more points and clean up our defensive rotations.”
For Ward and the Rattlers, the season opener served as a stark introduction to the challenges ahead. The team showed flashes of a disruptive defense and a relentless approach to rebounding, but was ultimately undone by the Bulls’ efficient, high-scoring attack.
“It’s one game,” Ward said. “We’ll watch the film, correct the mistakes, and keep working. This group has heart. Now we have to build on the positives and learn how to finish.”
While the men’s team was battling in Tampa, the FAMU women’s basketball team opened its season with a difficult 73 point loss to cross-town rival Florida State. The Seminoles bested the Rattlers 112-39.