Here’s to one last game at the Al Lawson Center for the 2023-2024 basketball season.
It’s rivalry Saturday on The Highest of Seven Hills as Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman square off on the hardwood to culminate the regular season.
The Rattlers and the Wildcats will meet for a Southwestern Athletic Conference doubleheader on Saturday, starting with the women’s game at 2 p.m. The men’s game follows at 4 p.m.
Fans can watch the FAMU-B-CU SWAC basketball series on Rattlers Plus.
There’s much riding on Saturday’s games between FAMU and B-CU.
The Rattlers will honor their final-year players and look to send them off correctly on Senior Night.
Additionally, playoff hopes hang in the balance.
The winner of FAMU versus B-CU women’s basketball (15-15, 6-11 SWAC) clinches a spot in the eight-team SWAC Tournament. It would be the Lady Rattlers’ (8-20, 7-10 SWAC) first postseason appearance since the 2019 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament.
FAMU women’s basketball, seventh in SWAC standings, has dropped its last three games and is looking to get back in the win column in what could be a history-making game. The last time the Lady Rattlers and SWAC’s ninth-ranked Lady Wildcats met, B-CU got a narrow 80-76 win in Daytona Beach on Jan. 6.
“Win, and we’re in,” first-year Rattlers head women’s basketball coach Bridgette Gordon said on the FAMU Coaches Show.
“There’s no better place to be than to win in your gym against your rival. Fans, we need you to come out, show up and show out. We need our sixth man to help us get to the SWAC Tournament.”
Saturday will close FAMU men’s basketball season. The Rattlers (6-22, 4-13 SWAC) will miss the SWAC Tournament for the second straight year.
FAMU men’s basketball will look to end an adverse season on a high note by avenging Jan. 6’s 98-86 loss at Bethune-Cookman (15-15, 10-7 SWAC).
“We’re going to have to keep the game a lot lower in the 60’s or 70’s,” FAMU head men’s basketball coach Robert McCullum said. “Slowing them down offensively and taking away transition opportunities will be our best chance to win in front of what we anticipate would be an outstanding home crowd.”
Florida A&M vs. Bethune-Cookman SWAC Basketball Doubleheader
![Florida A&M Rattlers forward Chase Barrs (10) dunks the ball in the first half. The Florida men's basketball team hosted Florida A&M at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center in Gainesville, FL on Wednesday, November 30, 2022. The Gators won 102-62 [Doug Engle/Ocala Star Banner]](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/EOc18lJvLgLWOePo3xLcJg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTExMzE-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/tallahassee-democrat/397df51d8048660ae918c135a7d10157)
When: Saturday at 2 p.m. (women), 4 p.m. (men)
Where: Al Lawson Center; Tallahassee, Florida
Game Theme: White Out
How to Watch: Rattlers Plus
Gerald Thomas, III covers Florida A&M University Athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at gdthomas@tallahassee.com or on the app formerly known as Twitter @3peatgee.
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU Basketball: Rattlers host Senior Night vs. Bethune-Cookman | Preview
