Lady Rattlers Close Out 2015 With 77-68 Win Over Clemson

CLEMSON, South Carolina -- The Florida A&M Lady Rattlers were short on personnel heading into Tuesday night's contest against the Clemson Tigers, including coach LeDawn Gibson who was dealing with flu-like symptoms and did not make the trip. Associate head coach Latasha Shipman-Ganus and assistant coach Andrea Johnson took the reigns and reeled in one of FAMU's biggest wins in some time, striking the Clemson Tigers for a 77-68 win at Jervey gym on the campus of Clemson University.

Shipman credits the team's work ethic and willingness to sacrifice with the win. "We were obviously short-handed going into this game, so we had to make adjustments. We put in three plays in the 24 hours leading up to the game to maximize the personnel we had on hand. Alicia McCray had the big game we needed from her, grabbing 10 rebounds to go along with her 17 points. Victoria Nguyen also stepped up and played well at this level," Shipman said.

Olivia Antilla, led the Rattlers with 20 points on efficient 8-of-16 shooting. Khadejra Young, who was forced to play point guard for some of the game, put in 18 points on 7-of-14 shooting. Antilla and Young both shot .500 from the field. London Holland also contributed on sharp 5-of-9 shooting from the field for 11 points to round out the balanced scoring of four players in double figures. McCray would be key, carding a double-double for the game.

A key to the win was the Lady Rattlers' ability to stop the dribble penetration that had been key to Clemson's success thus far. The tigers were led by Nelly Perry, who led all scorers with 21 points. Paige Mosley scored 16 points, while Danielle Edwards chipped in 14 points. Aliyah Collier grabbed seven rebounds for the orange and purple, while Edwards grabbed six.

What's next: The Lady Rattlers will face the Tigers of Savannah State on Jan.1 at 1 p.m. in the Al Lawson Center to kick of the year and begin MEAC play in 2016. The game will feature $1 concessions and $1 entry. Parking for the game is free. DJ Laila Jade and DJ Z-Dub will be the day's entertainment.

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COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION