PINE BLUFF, Ark. (Interstat) — In a game defined by runs and resilience, the Florida A&M Rattlers held off a late charge from the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions to secure a 71-67 victory in a Southwest Athletic Conference men’s basketball matchup Saturday night at the HPER Complex.

The Rattlers, who evened their conference record, improved to 6-9 overall. The Golden Lions fell to 6-12.

The contest was a back-and-forth affair for much of the night, with neither team able to build a substantial lead. Florida A&M took a narrow 30-31 edge into halftime despite a late first-half three-pointer from Arkansas-Pine Bluff’s Alex Mirhosseini. The second half followed a similar pattern of traded baskets and momentum swings.

The most critical sequence of the game unfolded in the final minute. With Florida A&M clinging to a 62-60 lead after a Quion Williams dunk for the Golden Lions, the Rattlers’ Jordan Chatman delivered a clutch four-point play. He drained a three-pointer while being fouled by Ramel Lloyd and converted the ensuing free throw, pushing the lead to 66-60 with just 1:28 remaining.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff refused to fold. Williams made two free throws to cut the deficit to four, but Florida A&M’s Miles Ndalama answered with two of his own at the line. After Lloyd made a pair of free throws for the Golden Lions to make it 68-64, Mirhosseini stunned the home crowd of 2,423 by hitting a deep three-pointer with six seconds left, slicing the Rattlers’ lead to a single point at 68-67.

On the ensuing inbound play, Mirhosseini fouled Chatman, who calmly sank both free throws to restore a three-point cushion. Williams’ desperation three-point attempt to tie in the final seconds missed, and Florida A&M secured the road win.

Jaquan Sanders led the Rattlers with 18 points, while Chatman provided a crucial 17-point contribution, including the decisive four-point play and late free throws. Miles Ndalama, the 6-foot-11 center from Ndola, Zambia, added 15 points and anchored the interior for Florida A&M.

The Rattlers won despite committing 16 turnovers, one more than Arkansas-Pine Bluff. They offset that with a significant advantage on the offensive glass, grabbing nine rebounds to the Golden Lions’ five, which led to more second-chance opportunities. Florida A&M also dominated points in the paint, 34-26, and outscored UAPB in fastbreak points 8-3.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff was led by Alex Mirhosseini’s 16 points, including three three-pointers. Trevon Payton scored 13, and Quion Williams filled the stat sheet with 12 points, six assists and a block. The Golden Lions were efficient from the free-throw line, making 16 of 19 attempts, but were ultimately undone by Florida A&M’s interior presence and the late-game execution of Chatman and Sanders.

The game was a tactical battle with both teams posting similar shooting numbers. Florida A&M shot 49% from the floor on 24-of-49 shooting, while Arkansas-Pine Bluff finished at 45.8% on 22-of-48. Each team made seven three-pointers. The Rattlers’ slight efficiency edge, with an offensive rating of 105.3 points per 100 possessions to the Golden Lions’ 103.0, proved to be the difference in a tightly contested conference clash.

Florida A&M will look to build on the win as they continue their road trip at Mississippi Valley State on Monday. Arkansas-Pine Bluff aims to rebound when they host Bethune-Cookman, also on Monday.