March 29, 2024
MEN'S BASKETBALL

Seminoles’ late surge sinks Bears FSU defense shuts down Maine in mutual opener

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Tim Pickett scored 18 points and Anthony Richardson added 16 as Florida State opened its season with a 69-49 victory men’s basketball over the Maine Black Bears Friday night.

Richardson scored eight of his points in a late 17-4 surge, capped by two 3-point baskets by Pickett, as the Seminoles wore down the visitors, also playing their first game, and opened a 68-46 lead with just over a minute left.

Jermaine Jackson was the lone Maine player in double figures with 12 points, but he made just 3 of 12 shots.

The Black Bears play again Monday at 7 p.m. against Bethune-Cookman in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Both clubs shots poorly in a game interrupted in the first half for nearly 20 minutes by a malfunctioning 35-second clock. The teams played the last 5:56 of the half without a shot clock. It was restored for the second half.

Maine shot 32.7 percent and only 26.9 percent from 3-point range. Florida State hit 38.9 percent of its tries (37.5 percent on 3-pointers) with Richardson shooting 6-for-9.

Maine did have a 38-37 advantage in rebounds, but committed 21 turnovers that led to 20 Florida State points.

Eric Dobson and Kevin Reed posted nine points each for the Bears, and Joe Campbell and David Dubois added seven each.

Mark Flavin and Reed were Maine’s top rebounders with seven apiece, and Dubois and Campbell had six each. Reed also had five steals.

Michael Joiner had seven rebounds for the Seminoles.

Eric Dobson’s jumper with a little more than six minutes remaining pulled the Bears within 51-42, but the Seminoles pulled away starting with a pair of Alexander Johnson free throws and a Richardson jumper.

After Maine’s Jackson hit a pair of free throws, Nate Johnson sank a 3-pointer and Richardson added a layup and free throw to push the lead to 17.

Dobson added a jumper, but Pickett followed with a pair of 3-pointers to increase FSU’s lead to 21.

SEMINOLES 69, BLACK BEARS 49

Maine (0-1) Florida State (1-0)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

Jackson 3 12 5 7 12 Pickett 6 17 18

Dobson 3 11 2 2 9 Richardson 6 16

Reed 3 13 0 0 9 N. Johnson 3 5 9

Dubois 3 3 1 4 7 A. Johnson 1 8

Campbell 3 4 0 0 7 Joiner 2 4 5

Hadjisotirov 2 4 0 0 5 Wilson 1 3 4

Petkus 0 1 0 1 0 Galloway 0 3

Flavin 0 4 0 0 0 Thornton 1 3

Mathews 1 4 0 2

Waleskwski 0 4 1

Callier 0 1 0 0

Totals 17 52 8 14 49 21 54 18 26 69

Maine 28 49

Florida State 36 69

3-pt. goals ? Maine (7-26): Reed 3-10, Jackson 1-8, Dobson 1-3, Campbell 1-2, Hadjisotirov 1-2, Petkus 0-1; Florida State (9-24): Pickett 4-11, N. Johnson 3-5, Richardson 1-1, Wilson 1-2, Joiner 0-2, Galloway 0-3

Attendance: 6,655

Kentucky 65, Winthrop 44

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Erik Daniels scored 15 points and No. 10 Kentucky opened the second half with a 16-3 run for a 65-44 victory over Winthrop on Friday in the season opener for both teams.

Kentucky led by 11 points at halftime, and extended the advantage to 48-24 in the opening minutes of the second half. The Wildcats led by as many as 28 points.

Chuck Hayes and Gerald Fitch added 12 points apiece and Kelenna Azubuike had 11 for Kentucky, which forced Winthrop into 29 turnovers.

The Wildcats trailed only once, in the opening minutes, but gained control and led 32-21 at the half.

Josh Grant had nine points to lead Winthrop, which has played in the NCAA tournament four of the past five years. Tyrone Walker, the preseason pick as Big South Conference player of the year, scored just four points on 2-of-8 shooting.

Kentucky is 25-3 in season openers at Rupp Arena. Winthrop fell to 0-11 against Southeastern Conference teams.

Texas Tech 90, UMass 50

LUBBOCK, Texas – Andre Emmett scored 14 of his 18 points in the second half to lead Texas Tech to a 90-50 victory over Massachusetts in a Preseason NIT quarterfinal round game Friday night.

Texas Tech will face Utah in a semifinal game Wednesday in New York. Georgia Tech and top-ranked Connecticut will play in the other semifinal. The championship game is scheduled for next Friday.

The Minutemen’s only lead came in the first two minutes before the Red Raiders seized control and raced to a 42-24 lead by the break.

Jarrius Jackson and Robert Thomaszek each scored 16 points and Devonne Giles added 11 for Texas Tech.

Rashaun Freeman scored 17 points and Stephane Lasme finished with 13 rebounds for Massachusetts.

Massachusetts was slowed by turnovers. The Minutemen committed 15 of their 28 turnovers in the first half.

With 11:45 left in the second half, Mookie Works blocked a shot and Jackson led the Raiders downcourt. Jackson lobbed a pass to Emmett for the dunk as Texas Tech extended its lead to 31 points.

Texas Tech coach Bob Knight was pleased by his team’s defensive performance.


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