“Heartbreak in Overtime: Bulldogs Stumble Against FAMU”

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford women’s basketball squad was edged 72-67 in overtime by Florida A&M on Friday night in the Pete Hanna Center.

With this defeat, Samford’s record now stands at 4-10 for the season. Florida A&M improved to 2-8 following the victory.

“We anticipated that this team would be exceedingly physical,” stated Samford head coach Carley Kuhns. “They press for the entirety of the game and have forced teams into over 30 turnovers all season long, so we focused heavily on that throughout the week in practice. We began the game very well at managing the ball and addressing their pressure, just keeping it straightforward. That has been the narrative of our season; once things become slightly chaotic and we become a bit overwhelmed, we tend to spiral into six, seven, or eight turnovers consecutively. We must discover a method to rectify that.”

In the loss, Samford was spearheaded by Annie Ramil with 17 points and nine rebounds. Kennedy Langham contributed 12 points, while Sierra Godbolt recorded 10 points and 10 assists. The team collectively committed 26 turnovers throughout the contest.

Cheyenne McEvans led Florida A&M with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Sabou Gueye added 14 points for the Rattlers. Florida A&M turned the ball over 30 times during the game.

Samford seized an early 9-6 advantage with 5:47 remaining in the first quarter following a layup off a theft by Godbolt. The Bulldogs increased their lead to 15-10 with 3:21 left in the first frame after a layup by Alonya Waldon. Florida A&M rallied to equalize the score at 16-16 with 1:48 remaining in the first quarter, and the score remained tied at the conclusion of the period.

The Bulldogs opened the second quarter with a 22-16 lead, courtesy of back-to-back three-pointers by Godbolt and Claire Johnson. The Rattlers narrowed the gap to 22-20 at the 5:28 mark of the second period following a layup by D’mya Griffin. Samford responded with a 12-0 surge, extending their lead to 34-20 with 1:19 left in the second quarter after a layup by Waldon. At halftime, Samford held a 35-23 lead.

As Samford led 37-25, FAMU launched a 15-0 run, taking a 40-37 lead with 1:57 left in the third quarter following a jumper by McEvans. Samford concluded the third quarter with a 7-0 burst, leading 44-40 at the end of the period.

After a FAMU three-pointer sliced the lead to one at 44-43, Samford produced the next five points to lead 49-43 with 8:06 to play after a couple of free throws by Langham. FAMU answered with an 11-1 run, gaining a 54-50 lead with 3:46 remaining following a layup by Gueye. Samford countered with a 6-0 stretch to reclaim a 56-54 lead with 1:23 left on a layup by Langham. Gueye from FAMU hit two free throws with 8.7 seconds remaining to tie the game at 56-56. Neither team scored after that, leading to overtime.

In overtime, Florida A&M secured a five-point lead at 63-58 with 3:12 left after a three-pointer by Eve Alexander. Samford closed the gap to one at 65-64 following a three-pointer by Alyssa Tarpley with 1:42 remaining. A jumper by Alexander put FAMU ahead 67-64 with 1:11 to go.

A free throw from Alexander made it 68-64 with 18.1 seconds remaining. Samford’s attempt at a three-pointer failed, and Gueye of FAMU netted one free throw, while Ivet Subirats scored off the second miss to extend the lead to 71-64 with 10 seconds left. Tarpley sank a three-pointer with just 3.0 seconds remaining, lowering the deficit to 71-67, but Samford couldn’t draw any closer as the Bulldogs fell, 72-67.

Next, Samford will host Eastern Kentucky on Sunday, Jan. 29. The matchup is scheduled for a 2 p.m. start at the Pete Hanna Center.

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