ORANGEBURG, SC -- Tameka McKelton scored 22 points and Jasmine Grice 13 to lead visiting Florida A&M to a 79-65 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference win over South Carolina State Monday at Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center.

The Lady Bulldogs, who had their losing string stretched to six, were led by Whitney Wiley with 19 points. Tiara Knotts and Fannie Goodwin added 11 points each in the loss, which dropped Coach Doug Robertson's team to 6-12 overall and 2-6 in the MEAC.

Goodwin also snared a game high 11 rebounds for SC State, which enjoyed a 50-39 edge on t he boards, however the advantage was negated by 20 turnovers by the Lady Bulldogs to just 13 for the Lady Rattlers.

FAMU won its second in a row and its fourth in five outings to level its overall record at 10-10 and improve to 5-3 in the league.

The visitors led by as many as 17 four times in the opening half – the last time at 40-23 with two minutes left in the period – before the host Lady Bulldogs closed out the half with five straight points on a layup by Goodwin and a 3-pointer by Wiley to close to within 40-28 at the break.

Wiley started the final 20 minutes with another basket from long range to pull her team to within 40-31 just 12 seconds into the period, but the Lady Rattlers got the next four points to go ahead 44-31 with 18:43 showing.

FAMU was still ahead by 13 -- 61-48 – with 8:37 remaining when Tiana Hemphill, who nine points and an equal number of rebounds for SC State, got a layup to trigger an 11-4 run that pulled the host to within 65-59 with 5:20 showing.

Robertson's team had two opportunities to get even closer, however, SC State missed easy shots inside both times.

Antonia Bennett, who finished with 12 points and a team-high 10 boards for the Lady Rattlers, then scored on a breakaway basket with 4:44 left, but Wiley answered with two from the line to make the margin six again – 67-61 – with 4:19 to go, but turnovers and missed layups by SC State led to a 10-2 run by the Lady Rattlers and a 77-63 advantage with 29 seconds left, and sealing SC State's six consecutive setback.

The Lady Bulldogs will try to return to the win column for the first time since January10th Saturday when they travel to MEAC leader Hampton for a league doubleheader, beginning at 4 p.m.
SC State's last victory was 47-35 over Delaware State exactly three weeks ago.