ORANGEBURG, SC – South Carolina State got 10 points from Jayah Hicks and De'Mean Bond came off the bench for nine points and 10 rebounds for the Lady Bulldogs but Florida A&M built an eight-point lead in the final seven minutes and held on for a low-scoring 44-39 win over the host Saturday.

Coach Audra Smith's team trailed by only one, 40-39, after Bond made 1-2 from the foul line with 1:35 to play but that would be the final points of the contest for SC State, which had consecutive turnovers before the visiting Lady Rattlers made 4-6 from the charity stripe to pull out the win. The visitors led 36-28 with 9:29 to play before SC State rallied to within a single point.

SC State also got eight points from Heniaya Moton, six form Chrisana Scott and five points and nine boards from Jacquece Alston in the loss, the third time in as many outings for the Lady Bulldogs. Smith's team fell to 2-15 on the season and 1-3 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

Florida A&M was paced by Shalaunda Burney-Robinson, the game's only other double-figure scorer with 16 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. The Lady Rattlers improved to 4-12 and 2-3 in the league

SC State held a 10-8 lead in the low-scoring affair after one period before the two teams went to the locker room deadlocked at 19-19. The visitors took a 34-28 lead after three.

Florida A&M enjoyed a huge 58-38 edge on the boards, however both teams struggled from the floor with the Lady Rattlers connecting on just 21.7 percent of its chances to 22.0 percent for the Lady Bulldogs.

SC State returns to the court Monday when the Lady Bulldogs host Maryland Eastern Shore in an MEAC doubleheader, beginning at 5:30 p.m.

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