FAMU women’s basketball team wins nail bitter over West Florida

Florida A&M women’s basketball team preview what’s to come this season by beating the visiting West Florida Argonauts 62-58 in a close exhibition game. Ahriahna Grizzle, who transferred from Alabama University, led the team with 26 points and hit the late-game free throw to seal the victory for the rattlers.

Photo Credit per FAMU Athletics

Grizzle enters a new situation and finds ways to assert herself as the primary ball handler. Following the game, the Alabama transfer stated, “it felt good having the support from my teammates, they are amazing, and they just said stay calm you know to keep doing what you do at the point guard position getting us the ball and I was trying my best just to make sure I got the ball to my teammates.”

The head coach of FAMU, Shalon Pillow, called this game “a dress rehearsal” as the team tested different matchups and players minutes before the season began. Pillow was pleased with her team’s performance; she emphasized physical box-outs as they outrebounded West Florida 38 to 37.

All though this was an exhibition game, West Florida found ways to test the Rattlers. The Argonauts forced 15 turnovers and mixed up their defensive schemes by switching from man defense in the first half to zone defense in the second half. FAMU still found a way to adjust to a defense they have had little practice with. Pillow stated, “we have not worked that much zone defense; we have it installed but don’t have a lot of reps.”

Pillow was impressed by how the team was still able to adjust; she credited Jamaryn Blair for handling it well and was able to play the point effectively.

The Rattlers are traveling to Gainesville for the first game of the season Monday, Nov. 7, to take on the Florida Gators at 5:30 p.m. on the SEC Network.