TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Interstat) — Florida A&M edged Grambling 59-55 in a Southwestern Athletic Conference women’s basketball game Thursday at the Alfred Lawson, Jr. Multipurpose Center. The Lady Rattlers, who trailed by five at halftime, used a 21-point third quarter to seize control. Grambling’s Lady Tigers were led by Monica Marsh with 12 points and Shaniah Nunn with 10. Florida A&M’s Tahnyjia Purifoy scored a team-high 14 points. Free throw shooting proved decisive. Florida A&M made 25 of 29 attempts, while Grambling hit 14 of 23. Both teams committed 17 turnovers before an announced crowd of 603. Florida A&M improved to 2-11 overall, while Grambling fell to 4-12.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Interstat) — In a game defined by defensive pressure and offensive struggles, the Florida A&M Lady Rattlers used a decisive third-quarter surge and clutch free-throw shooting down the stretch to edge the Grambling Lady Tigers 59-55 in a Southwestern Athletic Conference women’s basketball game Thursday night at the Alfred Lawson, Jr. Multipurpose Center. The most critical sequence of the contest unfolded in the third quarter. Trailing 32-27 at halftime, Florida A&M erupted for 21 points in the period while holding Grambling to 15, flipping a five-point deficit into a 48-42 lead entering the final frame. The run was fueled by a combination of stifling defense that forced eight Grambling turnovers in the quarter and a sudden burst of perimeter shooting from guard Aina Subirats. The freshman from Barcelona, Spain, connected on three 3-pointers in the quarter, all assisted by Tahnyjia Purifoy, to ignite the home team and establish a cushion Grambling could never fully erase. Grambling, which fell to 4-12 overall, started strong behind the early shooting of Monica Marsh. The guard from Plano, Texas, scored 12 points, including two first-quarter 3-pointers, to help the Lady Tigers build a 19-14 lead after one period. The offense stagnated in the second quarter, managing only nine points, but a resilient defensive effort limited Florida A&M to 13, preserving a slim Grambling lead at the break. The game was a statistical reflection of two teams fighting for their first conference win. Both squads struggled mightily from the field, with Grambling shooting 34 percent and Florida A&M at 30 percent. The difference proved to be at the free-throw line and in the efficiency of possessions. Florida A&M, now 2-11, capitalized on its opportunities, converting 25 of 29 free throws for an 86.2 percent clip. Grambling, meanwhile, left points on the board, making only 14 of 23 attempts from the line. Purifoy, a 5-foot guard from Pensacola, Florida, led all scorers with 14 points and added five assists, orchestrating the Lady Rattlers’ offense, especially during the pivotal third-quarter run. For Grambling, Douthsine Prien of Boynton Beach, Florida, matched Purifoy’s playmaking with five assists to go with 10 points, while Marsh’s 12 points and Shaniah Nunn’s 10 points and 10 rebounds provided a double-double. The fourth quarter became a tense affair of missed shots and crucial free throws. Grambling chipped away, closing to within 52-50 on a D’Mya Griffin 3-pointer with 8:19 remaining and again at 55-53 after two Prien free throws with 2:53 left. Each time, Florida A&M answered at the line. Brooklyn Swann made two free throws with 2:09 to play to push the lead back to four, and after a Grambling turnover, Shaniyah McCarthy sealed the game by making four consecutive free throws in the final 11 seconds. Both teams committed 17 turnovers, but Florida A&M translated them into 15 points, while Grambling scored 19 off takeaways. The Lady Rattlers also held a slight edge in offensive rebounding, 13-12, leading to 18 points in the paint compared to Grambling’s 14. The win provides a measure of momentum for Florida A&M as it prepares to host Southern on Saturday. Grambling looks to rebound quickly, traveling to face Bethune-Cookman, also on Saturday.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Interstat) — Two Southwestern Athletic Conference women’s basketball teams seeking momentum will meet Thursday when the Grambling Lady Tigers visit the Florida A&M Lady Rattlers. The game at the Alfred Lawson, Jr. Multipurpose Center pits Grambling (4-11) against a Florida A&M (1-11) squad still looking for its first win against a Division I opponent this season. Both teams are coming off narrow conference results from Saturday, but with contrasting emotions. Grambling routed Prairie View 85-60 for its most decisive victory of the season, while Florida A&M fell 57-56 at Bethune-Cookman on a last-second basket. Grambling’s offense will run through guard Shaniah Nunn, who is coming off a 20-point, 7-rebound performance in the win over Prairie View. Over her last five games, Nunn is averaging 14.4 points and 6.2 rebounds, providing consistent scoring punch for the Lady Tigers. She posted a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds in a December win over LeTourneau. Florida A&M will counter with forward Breazia Robinson, who nearly recorded a triple-double in the heartbreaking loss to Bethune-Cookman, finishing with 9 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 blocked shots. Her defensive presence inside will be crucial against a Grambling team that scored a season-high 97 points in one of its four wins. The Lady Rattlers’ lone victory was a 71-65 decision over Southeastern on Dec. 29. Grambling has shown a pattern of following losses with wins, but has yet to string together consecutive victories this season. Both teams will look to this early conference matchup as a chance to build consistency and climb the SWAC standings. Grambling visits Bethune-Cookman on Saturday, while Florida A&M hosts Southern the same day.