ORANGEBURG, SC – Both South Carolina State basketball teams will be trying to earn a sweep in their two-game Florida swing Monday when they travel to Tallahassee, Fla. for a doubleheader against Florida A&M at Gaither Athletic Complex.
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference action gets underway with the women's contest at 5:30 p.m. with the men's game to follow at approximately 7:30. Both games can be heard on WSSB (90.3 FM) Radio, courtesy of a feed from the Rattler Radio Network.
The SC State men (8-11, 3-4 MEAC) have won two in a row, including Saturday's 59-51 come-from-behind victory over then MEAC co-leader Bethune-Cookman at Daytona Beach.
The Bulldogs will be led by senior center Jason Johnson, the team's top scorer (15.5 ppg) and rebounder (8.2 rpg). Junior forward Jason Flagler is second in both categories with 12.9 points and 5.7 rebounds, respectively.
The host Rattlers (6-12, 4-3 MEAC) will be trying to snap a losing streak that reached three games Saturday when they were upset 80-66 at home by Winston-Salem State. Lamar Twitty (10.3 ppg) and Dale Hughes (10.2 ppg) spearhead the FAMU scoring attack.
The SC State women (5-13, 2-5 MEAC), winners of two of their last three outings, will be trying to grab back-to-back victories for the first time all season. Coach Doug Robertson's team came from behind for a 73-66 triumph at Bethune-Cookman on Saturday behind 32 points by junior guard Sophilia Hipps, who went over the 1,000-point mark for her career.
Hipps is averaging 14.3 points for the Lady Bulldogs, second only to senior Marie Reid, who leads the team with a 15.7 scoring mark, to go along with a 5.9 rebounding average. Jenell Moore, another senior, is the top rebounder with 7.5 each outing. She also owns a 5.6 scoring average.
The Lady Rattlers (8-10, 3-4 MEAC) snapped a four-game losing slide Saturday with a 69-59 victory over Winston-Salem State. FAMU is led by Stephanie Foster (13.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg) and Deidra Jones (12.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg).
Following Monday's competition, SC State will open a four-game home MEAC stand, beginning Saturday (Feb. 7) against Coppin State. The men's contest will be telecast live by ESPN2, beginning at 12 noon. The women's game will follow approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the televised contest.
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