ALBANY, Ga. – The Albany State University women's basketball team will look to bounce back as the Lady Golden Rams travel to Tallahassee, Florida, to face NCAA Division I opponent Florida A&M University on Thursday, November 12, at the Al Lawson Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 11 a.m.
Albany State (0-1) enters the matchup following a 69-49 loss to the University of North Georgia in its season opener. Despite the setback, head coach Todd Triplett believes his team has made the necessary adjustments in preparation for the Rattlers.
"North Georgia was an interesting game because we kind of fell short on our defensive principles," Triplett said. "But we picked it up this week in practice, so we're ready for FAMU."
The Lady Golden Rams will look to improve their defensive intensity while continuing to build chemistry with a roster featuring returning players and newcomers. Triplett emphasized that adjustments to the starting lineup and defensive execution will be important moving forward.
"We had to make some adjustments with our starting lineup," Triplett said. "We expect a lot of things from our small forward Chloe Evans and Sariah Johnson. We expect some big things from those two individuals, especially on the defensive end."
Albany State was led offensively by junior Quantrese Washington, who recorded a team-high 12 points and nine rebounds while shooting 5-of-8 from the field against North Georgia. Sariah Johnson followed with nine points and two steals, while Paris Triplett contributed six points and six rebounds, shooting 50 percent from the field.
Chloe Evans also provided an offensive spark off the bench, finishing with six points on 2-of-3 shooting from beyond the arc. The Lady Golden Rams will look for continued contributions from their returning players and newcomers as they prepare for another challenging nonconference matchup.
Washington's performance drew praise from Triplett, who highlighted her continued development and leadership both on and off the court.
"I'm super proud of Quantrese," Triplett said. "She's really developing into a big-time small forward, power forward in this league. I told her the sky's the limit. She continues to push herself and get better in practice."
Washington, one of the Lady Golden Rams' team captains, will be counted on to provide leadership and production as Albany State continues its pursuit of a Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship.
"She's a leader on and off the court," Triplett added. "She's one of our team captains. We expect some big things from her this season. She's a major contributor to what we have to do to get to the championship this year."
Scouting Florida A&M
Florida A&M (0-2) presents another early-season challenge for the Lady Golden Rams. The Rattlers will look to utilize their athleticism, size and defensive pressure to disrupt Albany State's offensive rhythm.
Triplett expects FAMU to apply pressure throughout the contest but remains confident in his team's preparation.
"They're going to try to press us, use their speed, use their height, try to intimidate us a little bit," Triplett said. "But we're not scared of that. We're just going to come in and try to get a victory there in Tallahassee."
The Lady Golden Rams will look to counter that pressure with disciplined execution, ball movement and an aggressive approach on both ends of the floor.
"We have a game plan. We're going to stick to our game plan," Triplett said. "We will be disciplined. We will share the ball. We will attack the basket. Our post players are going to block shots, and it's going to be an exciting brand of basketball."
With their championship mindset guiding the program, the Lady Golden Rams will look to take another step forward as they continue their nonconference schedule.
Thursday's contest is scheduled for 11 a.m. ET at the Al Lawson Center in Tallahassee, Florida. Fans unable to attend can watch the game live on SWAC TV.
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ABOUT ALBANY STATE ATHLETICS
Albany State University is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II-level intercollegiate athletic program. The university currently fields teams in 12 sports: women's volleyball, women's tennis, women's cross country, men's and women's basketball, softball, men's and women's indoor and outdoor track and field, baseball, and football, with all teams competing in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC).
