Fresh off of a game-winner that powered the Lady Wildcats to a victory over the Lady Rattlers, the men's basketball teams for both Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman met to face off in their SWAC conference opener. This marked the first coaching matchup between former NBA players Charlie Ward and Reggie Theus and the latest chapter in one of the fierce rivalries in HBCU athletics.
Games featuring Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman are often fervent and feature a lot of intensity. The first half of the game was no different, as both teams showed a flurry of athleticism on offense and defense that defined the frenetic pace of the first half.
Bethune-Cookman got off to a quick lead, largely due to the play of Tyler Andrews. He led Bethune-Cookman with 14 points on a perfect 5-of-5 shooting, including one three-pointer to go along with five rebounds heading into halftime. He also had some amazing plays, such as an impressive dunk that put Bethune-Cookman up 10-4 with 16 minutes and 22 seconds left in the first half.
However, Jaquan Sanders, who has emerged as a star in Ward’s first season with the program, answered immediately and made a 25-foot three-pointer that put Florida A&M back in stride. Heading into halftime, Sanders led the Rattlers with 13 points on 5-of-11 shooting, including two three-pointers, as the only player in double figures for the Rattlers.
Bethune-Cookman headed into the locker room with a 48-36 lead due to their high-efficiency shooting and ball movement. In the first half, they shot 61% from the field and easily won the assist battle, 11 to 5. They also were able to capitalize off the turnovers they were generating, turning three steals, one block, and Florida A&M’s five overall turnovers into 11 points off turnovers and 14 fast-break points.
It was clear that Ward needed some help for Sanders from his other teammates to help the team dig themselves out of this deficit. Meanwhile, Bethune-Cookman looked to maintain their lead as Andrews got off to a strong start, with Jakobi Heady not far behind him with 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting and three rebounds.
In the second half, Florida A&M fought valiantly to get back into the game and even managed to counter the 12-point deficit to take the lead with 11 minutes and 28 seconds left in the second half after a Micah Octave steal led into a fast-break layup. It appeared as if the Rattlers were finally taking command of the game and that their offense had turned the corner. But Bethune-Cookman quickly regained control of the lead.
Although Florida A&M was able to tie the game again, Tyler Andrews drained a three-pointer off of an Arterio Morris assist, and they maintained the lead for the rest of the game. At points, it just seemed as if Bethune-Cookman's athleticism and quickness on offense were simply too much for Ward's Florida A&M team.
While Florida A&M sought an advantage using the three-point ball—with Sanders and Tyler Shirley knocking down three three-pointers each and Jordan Chapman adding two himself, Bethune-Cookman was able to turn up the pace, converting 27 fast-break points. It appeared that Florida A&M had no answer for Quentin Heady as well as Jokobi Heady. Both were able to cut to the basket at will as Andrews made his presence felt in the first half. Morris chipped in 20 points off the bench in 25 minutes on 7-of-14 shooting with one three-pointer.
For Florida A&M, Jaquan Sanders stood tall and gave the Rattlers a shot at pulling off an upset against the consensus top team in the SWAC predicted order of finish. But ultimately, his 22 points, four rebounds, and three assists weren't enough. His six turnovers, which led all players on Florida A&M, proved to be costly for a Bethune-Cookman team that thrived in transition.
Looking ahead, Bethune-Cookman moves into a huge matchup against Patrick Crarey III and Grambling State next Saturday at 5:30 PM EST. Meanwhile, Florida A&M will face off against Southern University next Saturday.
