2014-15 DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY MEN'S BASKETBALL NOTES
“HORNETS” (10-13; 4-4 MEAC) vs. Florida A&M “Rattlers” (0-22; 0-9 MEAC)
Mon., Feb. 9, 2015 - 7:30 p.m.
Dover, Del. (Memorial Hall - 2,000)
Live TV: n/a
Live Audio: n/a
Live Video: DSUHornets.com
Live Stats: DSUHornets.com
Twitter updates: @DSUAthletics
Delaware State Head Coach Keith Walker (Clemson, '81): 15-19 at DSU (1st year, plus 11 games as interim in 2013-14); 106-121 career (9th year); 0-2 vs. FAMU; 9-9 MEAC regular season
Florida A&M Head Coach Byron Samuels (Cleveland State, '94): 0-22 FAMU (first year); 75-145 career (eighth year); 1-0 vs. DSU
THE GAME
The slumping Hornets (10-13; 4-4 MEAC) look to get back on the winning track in a MEAC contest against Florida A&M, the only NCAA Division I team without a victory this season. Delaware State has dropped its last four games to fall to seventh in the current MEAC standings. The Hornets are coming off a 75-70 home loss to Bethune-Cookman on Saturday. DSU was ahead by 18 points with less than three minutes to go before halftime, but the Wildcats rallied to only trail by six (34-28) by the break. The Hornets hit just 10 of their 31 shots from the floor (32.3%) were outscored 47-36 in the final 20 minutes. Amere May led three DSU players in double figures with 18 points in the contest. His performance was highlighted by four three-point field goals. Kendall Gray recorded his 14th double-double of the season, tallying 13 points and 14 rebounds, his 11th straight games with 10-or-more boards. Gray is tops among all Div. I players in rebounding at 12.9 per game. Tyshawn Bell had 14 points in the Bethune-Cookman contest. May is second in the MEAC in scoring at 18.1 points per game.
Florida A&M (0-22; 0-9 MEAC) has been idle since an 85-43 loss to league leader North Carolina Central last Monday (Feb. 2). Jermaine Ruttley was high man for the Rattlers with 19 points in the contest. Ruttley is the team's leading scorer at 15.5 points per game to rank fifth in the MEAC this season. He has scored 20-or-more points in seven games this season, including a high of 28 vs. Morgan State on Jan. 17. Ruttley also tops the Rattlers in rebounding (6.2 pg) and assists (45). Jorge Rosa is Florida A&M's leading three-point shooter with 30 in 111 attempts (.270).
DSU vs. FLORIDA A&M SERIES HISTORY (FAMU leads 38-36)
This is the only scheduled meeting between the teams this season. The Rattlers have won the last two contests to open up a 38-36 series lead. Florida A&M swept two meetings with DSU last season. The Rattlers defeated the Hornets 68-63 in Tallahassee, Fla., during the 2013-14 regular season; and posted a 65-61 victory over DSU in the opening round of the 2014 MEAC Tournament in Norfolk, Va. DeAndre Haywood scored a then career-high 20 points to lead the Hornets in the 2013-14 regular season meeting against Florida A&M. In last year's MEAC Tournament contest against the Rattlers, Kendall Gray tallied 13 points, while Haywood had 10 points and a team-high eight rebounds. The last time the teams met at Delaware State, the Hornets came out on top 65-51 on Jan. 23, 2012.
