Maya Moore is headed to the Final

Four with a chance to pad perhaps the

most impressive resume in the history
of womens college basketball with yet
another championship.
Connecticuts latest star is already
a four-time All-American with 3,000
career points. Nice personal milestones
for sure, but far from the biggest prize.
To her and the rest of the Huskies
its all about cutting down those nets
in Indianapolis and locking up a third
straight national title.
Moore scored 28 points, including the
3,000th of her career, to lead top-seeded
UConn to a 75-40 win Tuesday night
against Duke and a fourth straight trip to
the Final Four.
I dont think about it right now,
Moore said about becoming the seventh
Division I player to reach the 3,000-point
mark. Of course its really exciting to
be at a program where Ive been able to
ourIsI us un oIIensIve pIuver.
Coach Geno Auriemma wasnt surprised
by his stars huge game.
We did talk in the locker room that
this was going to be a big night for Maya,
Auriemma said. You could just sense it.
Too many games leading up to this where
things didnt click for whatever reason.
She doesnt let a lot of big games go by
without going off in a couple of them.
With two more victories, the Huskies
will match the record for consecutive
NCAA titles set by Tennessee (1996-98)
and equaled by UConn (2002-04).
Next up for Auriemmas current
juggernaut is Notre Dame on Sunday in
LIe nuLIonuI semIhnuIs.
The two Big East teams are plenty
familiar with each other, having played
three times this season already. UConn
won all of those matchups including a
73-64 victory in the Big East tournament
championship game.
Its going to be rough, Moore said.
We know each other so well and there
are not a lot of surprises. Its going to be a
battle to grind it out. Were representing
well for our conference. It should be fun.
Throw in the football team reaching the
BCS us BIg EusL cIumpIons Ior LIe hrsL
LIme und ILs LIe hrsL LIme ever one scIooI
has been in all three events.
Take that!, Auriemma said.
The Florida A&M softball team
split a double-header against
Troy University.
The team used a four-run third
inning en-route to a 6-0 win in
game one.
Jennifer Lindsey picked up the
victory in game one for the Rattlers.
Game two came down to the wire,
as the Lady Rattlers fell 2-0.
Troys Morgan Grove got the win
in game two.
The Rattlers next game will be
against North Carolina Central
April 1 in Durham, N.C. at 1 p.m.
The Rattlers sit at 11-15 and are in
hrsL pIuce In LIe SouLIern DIvIsIon
of the MEAC.
The men and womens teams will
travel to Gainesville for the Florida
Relays on Friday.
After a strong showing at the
FSU relays, the teams are poised
Lo compeLe In u heId oI LIe nuLIon`s
best talent.
The two-day event will be held at
the University of Florida.
Leon Hunt and Damarrius Carroll
are expected to lead the men,
while Latoya Wright and Keelyn
Flemming will spearhead the ladies.
Florida will be led by Jeff
Demps, who took first place in the
100-meter dash last year with a
time of 10.11 seconds.
e Famuan eFamuanOnline.com
Wednesday, March 30, 2011 famuansports@gmail.com
Sports 8
Queen-pin
The coaches call her
grandma, her friends call her
Mel, but everybody knows
her as captain of the womens
varsity wrestling team.
Melanie Andrade, a biology
pre-med freshman, from
Davenport, Fla. has been a
domInunL Iorce In Ier hrsL
year on the mat.
Andrade started wrestling
her freshman year of high
school. She was looking for a
sport to participate in, when
one of her friends suggested
wresLIIng. AILer Ier hrsL
practice, she was hooked.
I had never seen anything
like that before, Andrade
said. They were working
on techniques and moves.
It looked so intense and I
wanted to try it.
Andrade said that
wrestling is another world.
Weight management is the
biggest difference.
When you meet people in
wresLIIng, LIe hrsL quesLIon
youre asked is how much do
you weigh, Andrade said.
Andrade moved around a
lot in high school. She went to
three different high schools
and joined the wrestling team
at each one.
Andrude`s hrsL wresLIIng
team, Poinciana High School,
wasnt the experience she
hoped for.
I didnt like the team I was
wrestling on. The coach was
mean and I got beat every
single match, Andrade said.
They would beat me in the
beginning of the match. It
wasnt fun to me anymore.
Poinciana was crowded,
so they built a new school.
Andrade and a couple of her
teammates went to Liberty
High School and wrestled for
their new school.
My friends and I went
to the new school and they
didnt have a team. They had
a couple guy coaches with
onIv hve gIrIs on LIe Leum,
Andrade said. There were
only two from the old high
school and three from the
new one.
She was transferred to
Ridge Community High
School, where she was the
only girl on a boys team.
The coach ignored me
like I wasnt there, Andrade
said. Some of the guys were
talking to me and told me that
a few girls came out and quit,
thats why the coach didnt
take me seriously until after a
year of wrestling.
FAMUs wrestling program
was dropped last year. To
keep the program alive,
Andrade recruited five girls
for the team. Her teammates
and coaches, recognized
her determination and
leadership skills.
Thomas White, Andrades
coach, gave her the title of
captain because she leads
by example.
SIe Inuences LIem Lo
work out in the morning and
keeps them focused on their
studies, White said.
Saundrina Smith, a
freshman pre-med biology
student, is also Andrades
best friend and teammate.
She isnt going to tell you
to run a mile if she isnt going
to do it. When I had to cut
weight for a tournament, she
ate healthy with me.
For Smith, Andrades level
of committment does not
change after practice is over.
She helps me off the
mat. She is not only a great
captain but also a great
friend, Smith said.
Shari KareSh
Correspondent
Shari KareSh
Famuansports@gmail.Com
Jasmine Mitchell The Famuan
Melanie Andrade has been a wrestler since high school.
Spring practice spurs optimism
As spring practice continue,
the Florida A&M football team
is prearing to repeat as MEAC
champions. This time, they
want to drop the co.
The Rattlers had a record
of 8-3 and was involved
in a three-way tie for
MEAC championship with
Bethune-Cookman and
South Caroline State.
Willie Ferrell is a returning
linebacker and wants to repeat
as a MEAC champion.
I feel that since our defense
is coming back we should be
on the same page. We will
pick up where we left off, with
our intensity and our offense
pIckIng up wIII be hne, erreII
said. We should win and
dominate our schedule.
The Rattlers lost key players
last season and look to rebuild
in those positions.
We have a lot of veteran
players here that will help the
new players out and teach
them the defense as fast as
possible, Ferrell said.
In the second week of spring
practice, head coach Joe
Taylor said he was happy with
the play he has seen.
Were comIng uIong hne,
we ure suLIshed wILI LIe wuv
we are practicing with our
leadership and experience,
Taylor said. Offensively we
havent been turning the ball
over. On defense, weve been
vIng uround und we don`L
mind hitting. We are very
pleased with the way things
are going now, Taylor said.
Taylor also acknowledged
the change in culture with
the team as he enters his
fourth year.
The experience we have
here is great going into the
fourth year of the program.
There is no resistance: they
understand that hard work is
the easiest way to success.
The annual spring game
on Saturday will give
the coaches a chance to
evaluate the progress of
this seasons training.
The team has worked
hard in phase one of training
by waking up at 5:45 a.m.
doing the conditioning
along with the biometrics,
Taylor said. The team is
working really hard.
Cornerback Terry Johnson
said a lot of that hard work will
pay off on the defensive end.
Our team starts on defense.
Defense wins games and
we have to get turnovers,
Johnson said. We expect
good things coming from our
offense and defense. We have
a lot of returning players and
we expect big things from
them this season.
Spring football will conclude
on April 14, and the Rattlers
will start their regular season
on Sept. 2.

Lamont WiLSon
Famuansports@gmail.Com
Doug Feinberg
assoCiated press
Lamont WiLSon
staFF Writer
Doug Feinberg
assoCiated press
File Photo The Famuan
The baseball team will have the
opportunity to regroup after a
disappointing trip to Daytona.
The Rattlers have a home game
scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday
against North Carolina A&T.
This presents another opportunity
Ior LIe Leum Lo pIck up ILs hrsL
conference victory after an 0-3 start.
The team sits in last place in the
conference, but with the win could
move ahead of Deleware State.
With an 8-20 record, the team is
still in the hunt for a chance at the
MEAC title.
Baseball
Track
Softball
File Photo The Famuan
File Photo The Famuan
File Photo The Famuan
Andrade rules the mat in a male-dominated sport
UCONN woman can cement legacy with Final Four play
Maya Moore has the chance to become the most decorated player in college history