FSU 67 Winthrop 61 The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
The Good
With the win, FSU's record improves to 7-5. Coming into the game, the 'Noles were 22-0 vs Big South opponents. Make that 23-0. In games just prior to the Christmas break, the Seminoles had won 11 straight games. After tonight, make that 12 straight.
The game was a close contest the entire game with the largest lead for either team at eight held by FSU. By my count there were 11 ties and 12 lead changes. I told you after the North Florida game to not overlook Winthrop. Over the last decade or so, they have been the winningest team in the Big South conference.
Not what you would label as an offensive beauty, defense was the name of this game. Key for the 'Noles was creating Eagles turnovers. 24 of them to be exact by a team that averages just over 12 per game. As they have done all season long, FSU was very adept at stealing the ball finishing the game with 14, five over their season average. Just as important as those steals were deflections, a stat Leonard Hamilton loves. Hamilton estimated after the game that the team had 40-45 of them. That played havoc with the Winthrop offense as you would expect.
When there wasn't a theft of the ball, the Seminole defense was clamping down on Winthrop. At the 7:58 mark, K J Doucet nailed a three to tie the game at 48. The Eagles would not score another FG until 2:16 remained on the clock. By that time FSU had built a working lead. Despite Winthrop closing the score to 64-61, the Eagles had to foul. Converting 4 of 6 FTs by the 'Noles in the final 26 seconds sealed the win.
It was brutal anytime Winthrop tried to drive the ball inside. The Eagles were just 29% inside the arc. What kept them in the game was three pointers (7-16) and FTs (20-27). What countered that was FSU shooting 30-42 from the charity stripe.
Player of the game: The entire team because that was a team effort in defeating Winthrop. Everyone who played contributed something. Four players made it into double figures led by Jalen Warley and Primo Spears each with 12 points.
Plays of the game: Spears with the steal and quick pass up the floor to Jamir Watkins over to Darin Green back to Watkins and the 2 on 1 layup, 44-42, FSU. A whole handful of plays on defense that held the Eagles (not to be confused with the band the Eagles) to four FGs over the remaining 11:54 of the first half contributing to a 25-24 half time lead. De'Ante Green with the reverse layup that gave FSU its first lead of the game 20-18. Fifteen individual plays that forced three Winthrop players to foul out including their 1st and 2nd leading scorers. Defense against inbounding the ball by Winthrop. FSU made it very tough and the Eagles got nothing cheap. Taylor Bol Bowen with two offensive rebounds off his own missed shots following the ball and putting it back in, 4-6.
The Bad
Baba Miller within the first 30 seconds of the game on the very first possession twisting his ankle and being taken back to the locker room. He did return to the game, but he clearly was not himself. Foul trouble hurt as well.
Five FSU fouls within the first 3:51 of the second half putting the Eagles on the line early and often and for the rest of the game they were shooting two.
The scoreboard error that gave FSU an extra point showing a 49-48 Seminole lead. I was OK with it, but apparently Mark Prosser (son of Skip Prosser if you remember him at Xavier and Wake Forest) was not.
A 58-50 Seminole lead and FSU commits two fouls stopping the clock, commits a turnover, and misses a shot. All of a sudden the game tightened to 58-55. Thankfully Warley answered with a driving layup and Spears notched a steal.
De'Ante Green getting a little too fancy in the paint committing a turnover, 8-14. It was not necessary to take that dribble.
Question for the refs: That was a charge on Watkins driving the rim from the right???? The defender was still moving and clearly not set. You did read the new rule on charges didn't you?
The Ugly
Another crowd of close family and friends to watch the game in person.
Three pointers or lack thereof. FSU was 3-18 (17%) from the arc. Inside the arc wasn't all that great either shooting just 38%. OK, Winthrop had a little to do with. Getting to be a little too much of a habit IMO in particular three point shooting.
A combined total of 69 FTs were taken in this game. The refs obviously fell in love with the sound of their whistle especially in the second half. A whole bunch looked like very ticky tac fouls to me. On both teams. That contributed greatly to a game that lasted somewhere around 2 hours and 35 minutes. But who doesn't enjoy a good game watching players march up and down and down and up and up and down to the FT line.
Up Next
An eight day break. FSU does not play again until next Saturday Dec 30. The start time has been moved to noon in order for Seminole fans to catch the Orange Bowl at 4 PM. The Seminoles will host the Lipscomb Bisons (8-6). The only P5 team the Bisons have played this season is Arkansas who they played close but eventually lost to 66-60. Lipscomb is led in scoring by Derrin Boyd (17.3 ppg). The game will be streamed on the ACCNX.
The Good
With the win, FSU's record improves to 7-5. Coming into the game, the 'Noles were 22-0 vs Big South opponents. Make that 23-0. In games just prior to the Christmas break, the Seminoles had won 11 straight games. After tonight, make that 12 straight.
The game was a close contest the entire game with the largest lead for either team at eight held by FSU. By my count there were 11 ties and 12 lead changes. I told you after the North Florida game to not overlook Winthrop. Over the last decade or so, they have been the winningest team in the Big South conference.
Not what you would label as an offensive beauty, defense was the name of this game. Key for the 'Noles was creating Eagles turnovers. 24 of them to be exact by a team that averages just over 12 per game. As they have done all season long, FSU was very adept at stealing the ball finishing the game with 14, five over their season average. Just as important as those steals were deflections, a stat Leonard Hamilton loves. Hamilton estimated after the game that the team had 40-45 of them. That played havoc with the Winthrop offense as you would expect.
When there wasn't a theft of the ball, the Seminole defense was clamping down on Winthrop. At the 7:58 mark, K J Doucet nailed a three to tie the game at 48. The Eagles would not score another FG until 2:16 remained on the clock. By that time FSU had built a working lead. Despite Winthrop closing the score to 64-61, the Eagles had to foul. Converting 4 of 6 FTs by the 'Noles in the final 26 seconds sealed the win.
It was brutal anytime Winthrop tried to drive the ball inside. The Eagles were just 29% inside the arc. What kept them in the game was three pointers (7-16) and FTs (20-27). What countered that was FSU shooting 30-42 from the charity stripe.
Player of the game: The entire team because that was a team effort in defeating Winthrop. Everyone who played contributed something. Four players made it into double figures led by Jalen Warley and Primo Spears each with 12 points.
Plays of the game: Spears with the steal and quick pass up the floor to Jamir Watkins over to Darin Green back to Watkins and the 2 on 1 layup, 44-42, FSU. A whole handful of plays on defense that held the Eagles (not to be confused with the band the Eagles) to four FGs over the remaining 11:54 of the first half contributing to a 25-24 half time lead. De'Ante Green with the reverse layup that gave FSU its first lead of the game 20-18. Fifteen individual plays that forced three Winthrop players to foul out including their 1st and 2nd leading scorers. Defense against inbounding the ball by Winthrop. FSU made it very tough and the Eagles got nothing cheap. Taylor Bol Bowen with two offensive rebounds off his own missed shots following the ball and putting it back in, 4-6.
The Bad
Baba Miller within the first 30 seconds of the game on the very first possession twisting his ankle and being taken back to the locker room. He did return to the game, but he clearly was not himself. Foul trouble hurt as well.
Five FSU fouls within the first 3:51 of the second half putting the Eagles on the line early and often and for the rest of the game they were shooting two.
The scoreboard error that gave FSU an extra point showing a 49-48 Seminole lead. I was OK with it, but apparently Mark Prosser (son of Skip Prosser if you remember him at Xavier and Wake Forest) was not.
A 58-50 Seminole lead and FSU commits two fouls stopping the clock, commits a turnover, and misses a shot. All of a sudden the game tightened to 58-55. Thankfully Warley answered with a driving layup and Spears notched a steal.
De'Ante Green getting a little too fancy in the paint committing a turnover, 8-14. It was not necessary to take that dribble.
Question for the refs: That was a charge on Watkins driving the rim from the right???? The defender was still moving and clearly not set. You did read the new rule on charges didn't you?
The Ugly
Another crowd of close family and friends to watch the game in person.
Three pointers or lack thereof. FSU was 3-18 (17%) from the arc. Inside the arc wasn't all that great either shooting just 38%. OK, Winthrop had a little to do with. Getting to be a little too much of a habit IMO in particular three point shooting.
A combined total of 69 FTs were taken in this game. The refs obviously fell in love with the sound of their whistle especially in the second half. A whole bunch looked like very ticky tac fouls to me. On both teams. That contributed greatly to a game that lasted somewhere around 2 hours and 35 minutes. But who doesn't enjoy a good game watching players march up and down and down and up and up and down to the FT line.
Up Next
An eight day break. FSU does not play again until next Saturday Dec 30. The start time has been moved to noon in order for Seminole fans to catch the Orange Bowl at 4 PM. The Seminoles will host the Lipscomb Bisons (8-6). The only P5 team the Bisons have played this season is Arkansas who they played close but eventually lost to 66-60. Lipscomb is led in scoring by Derrin Boyd (17.3 ppg). The game will be streamed on the ACCNX.
