(Dover, Del.) – The Delaware State women's basketball team (5-17, 2-7 MEAC) were on the wrong end of a contest that featured multiple game-changing runs, falling 78-63 to the Florida A&M Rattlers (7-15, 4-6 MEAC) Monday evening at home.

With this loss, the Lady Hornets were denied their first three-game winning streak of the season, whereas FAMU snapped a brief two-game skid. 

In the first half, the Rattlers led by as many as 13, including scoring 11 unanswered points to start the game.  However, Delaware State battled back as the half progressed, taking a 31-30 advantage with guard Mikah Aldridge feeding forward Tierra Hawkins for a fast break layup at the 4:34 mark.  DSU would finish the opening stanza scoring 10 out of the next 11 points to take a 41-31 lead into the locker room, behind Aldridge's 16 points (3-of-9), which included draining eight of DSU's 20 free throws.

The second half, meanwhile, featured FAMU's Taneka Rubin and Alicia Jones drilling back-to-back 3-pointers to make it a 61-59 contest in favor of the Rattlers with 8:49 left.  The rest of the way, Delaware State ran out of gas scoring just four points, while FAMU pulled away to finish the second half scoring 47 points on a blistering 61 percent (20-of-33) shooting.  DSU, unfortunately went just 7-of-26 (.269) from the field in the final 20 minutes, including Aldridge and Hawkins going a combined 4-of-14 (.285).

At game's end, four Rattlers scored in double figures, led by guard Dawn King's 18 points (8-of-16) off the bench, while Jones poured in 17 (6-of-12). Jones also drained four of FAMU's seven 3-pointers.

In the case of the Lady Hornets, Aldridge finished with a career-high 22 points (5-of-16), whereas Hawkins recorded her third straight double-double, 10th overall, with 16 points (5-of-13) and a team-high 10 boards.

Coming up, the Columbia Blue & Red will head to Princess Anne, Md. this Saturday afternoon (2 p.m.) to face MEAC foe UMES.  Last season, the two squads split the season series with each team winning at home.

Stingers

DSU finished the game shooting 34 percent (16-of-47)… FAMU won the battle on the boards (39-32), led by forward Jamie Foreman's game-high 11… DSU's Amber Bogard (12) scored in double figures for the sixth straight game… The Lady Hornets hit their second most free throw in a game this season (28)… Tierra Hawkins was named MEAC Player of the Week for the second time this season, while forward/center Nikkei Blackburn earned MEAC Defensive Player of the Week for the first time of her career earlier in the day.