TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Bethune-Cookman erased an 11-point first half deficit to regain the lead, but Florida A&M answered down the stretch to take a 75-67 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference victory Saturday in the Lawson Center.

The Rattlers (2-6 overall, 1-0 MEAC) got 24 points from Jamie Adams and 20 from Jamari Bradshaw as they turned a 57-57 tie into a 67-60 lead with 6:27 remaining,

B-CU (2-6,0-1) closed to 69-65 on an Adrien Coleman tip-in with 2:18 remaining, but went scoreless the next two minutes.

Coleman led the Wildcats with 17 points, while Alex Smith scored 12 of his 13 in the first half. Javoris Bryant added nine, while Paul Scotland, Kevin Dukes and Allan Dempster posted eight apiece.

Florida A&M led 42-31 with 2:29 remaining in the opening half, but the Wildcats closed to 42-36 at halftime and took a 49-48 lead when Dempster registered his first collegiate points on a dunk with 13:14 remaining.

Bryant scored the next six B-CU points to answer Bradshaw three-pointers. A Dempster dunk with 10:57 left gave B-CU its last lead at 57-55.

The Wildcats host Stetson Monday night at 7 p.m. in historic Moore Gymnasium.

JUNIOR ADRIEN COLEMAN

“It's always tough to lose on the road. I feel we could have done better.”

“Free throws and sloppy turnovers cost  us in the end. If we clean up those mistakes, we'll do well in the conference.”

NOTES: B-CU has now lost three straight … The Wildcats had beaten FAMU in the December meetings the past five years … Dukes broke Freddie Cole's career record of 214 three-pointers in the second half and extended his consecutive games with a three-pointer to 28 … Smith was 5-5 from the field in the first half … Dempster made his first three shots and was 4-6 overall … B-CU made just two three-pointers, a season low … The Wildcats had a 39-36 advantage on the board, led by Jackson's eight.