The Florida A&M Rattlers, who were recently recovering from an eight-game losing streak, managed to upset the Jackson State Tigers in an 88-86 classic. The Rattlers came in as one of the worst teams in the SWAC, yet they held on down the stretch of a close game for one of the their biggest wins of the season.

Jackson State seemed to have trouble with their Florida trip. In their previous game, they lost 82-71 in Daytona Beach to Bethune-Cookman, then followed it up with a loss to Florida A&M.

The contest between both teams was close for the overwhelming majority of the first half. For the first 15 minutes, neither squad seemed capable of grabbing and maintaining a lead. In fact, the lead switched hands seven times, with numerous ties in between, leading up to the final five minutes. Jackson State led by as much as five points, but that was at the start of the game and Florida A&M quickly erased that deficit.

However, in the waning moments of the first half, the Florida A&M Rattlers scored 10 unanswered points to a take a 33-23 lead. They went into the half time break with a 37-27 advantage on the scoreboard.

Immediately coming out of the break, Jackson State went on an 8-0 run to tie the game. Two three-pointers from Chase Adams powered the Tigers back into the ball game. Despite the initial surge, the Tigers could not retake the lead. The Rattlers continued to match their opponents shot-for-shot, eventually building another double-digit lead. Florida A&M held Jackson State scoreless for nearly three minutes, giving them time to built a 13-point cushion.

In the final seconds of the game, the Tigers nearly pulled off an incredible comeback. Down seven with 40 seconds left, Chase Adams hit a three pointer to bring them within four. Florida A&M missed their free throws, which led to another Adams bomb, cutting the deficit to just a single points. A&M's Jordan Chatman made one of two free throws, giving them an 85-83 lead. Jackson State had a chance to tie, but both Adams and Ken Evans Jr. missed key shots that would've changed the game. Keith Lamar made another free throw to give the Rattlers a three-point lead. On the other end, Adams missed a three that effectively sealed the game.

Chase Adams absolutely balled out for the Jackson State Tigers, but his Herculean performance wasn't enough to get the win. He made seven three-point attempts and finished with 35 points, four rebounds, and a steal. Ken Evans Jr. also had a great game, putting up 18 points, six rebonds, four assists, and two steals. Zeke Cook had 12 points, two rebounds, a block, and a steal. Keionte Cornelius finished with 10 points.

A key contributor to the Florida A&M Rattlers' success was their team shooting percentage. They shot 58.5% as opposed to Jackson State's 44.4&. Keith Lamar led the way with 27 points on 11-14 shooting, along with three rebounds and a steal. Jordan Chatman had 15 points, four rebounds, and three assists. Shannon Grant nearly had a double-double with 13 points and eight rebounds, along with a block and a steal. Jalen Speer dished out six assists, grabbed four boards, and scored 12 points.

Florida A&M travels to Huntsville on Feb. 3 to take on Alabama A&M and hopefully add to their winning ways. Meanwhile, Jackson State heads up to Newark, NJ, for the Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic against Grambling State.