COLLEGE PARK, Ga. (Interstat) — In a grinding, defensive-minded affair that saw both teams struggle to find consistent offense, the Florida A&M Rattlers used a decisive second-half surge to pull away from the Jackson State Tigers, securing a 70-60 victory in a men’s NCAA Division I basketball game Wednesday night at Gateway Center Arena.

The game, organized by the Southwestern Athletic Conference and witnessed by a crowd of 1,274, saw the Rattlers improve to 15-15 on the season while the Tigers fell to 12-21.

The contest was characterized by physical play and frequent turnovers, with neither team able to establish a commanding early lead. Jackson State’s Jayme Mitchell, a 6-foot-5 guard from Jackson, Mississippi, provided the early offensive spark, connecting on a trio of first-half 3-pointers to help the Tigers carve out a narrow 34-33 advantage at halftime. Mitchell finished with a game-high 19 points in 35 minutes.

Florida A&M’s response after the break formed the most important part of the game. Shaking off a sluggish first half, the Rattlers tightened their defense and began to convert opportunities in transition. A key sequence midway through the second half effectively sealed the outcome. With the Rattlers holding a tenuous 42-40 lead, they unleashed a 13-4 run over a critical five-minute span. The run was fueled by interior play and defensive pressure. Kaleb Washington, a 6-foot-8 forward from Atlanta, contributed a tip-in and a layup during the stretch, while back-to-back steals by Washington and Antonio Baker led to easy baskets, pushing the lead to 55-44 with just over eight minutes remaining.

Jackson State, which had defeated Florida A&M in both regular-season meetings earlier in the year, could not mount a sustained counterattack. The Tigers’ offense, which managed only 26 points in the second half, became increasingly reliant on difficult shots against a set Rattler defense. Florida A&M’s ability to control the paint and capitalize on Tiger mistakes proved insurmountable.

Washington was instrumental in the Rattlers’ second-half dominance, recording a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, along with four assists and a block. His frontcourt partner, Tyler Shirley, also from Atlanta, added 13 points and was a disruptive force defensively. The backcourt duo of Antonio Baker from Savannah, Georgia, and Micah Octave from Boca Raton, Florida, provided steady leadership; Baker scored 14 points with three assists, while Octave filled the stat sheet with seven points, four assists and four steals.

For Jackson State, beyond Mitchell’s scoring, Devin Ree of Jackson, Mississippi, added 11 points and two blocks. Delyle Williams from Compton, California, facilitated the offense with five assists but was hampered by turnovers, a theme for the Tigers throughout the evening.

The victory allowed Florida A&M to finish its regular season at .500 and gain a measure of revenge after its two prior losses to Jackson State. The Tigers, who entered the game on a three-game winning streak, saw that momentum halted by the Rattlers’ defensive intensity and pivotal second-half run. Florida A&M covered the pregame spread as a 4.5-point favorite, and the combined score of 130 points fell well under the over/under line of 147.5, underscoring the defensive struggle that defined the matchup.