FSU 91 Western Carolina 57 The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
The Good
FSU improves to 7-1 in dominating fashion over WCU. The Seminoles made it a mission to not have any drop off after pummeling UMass last Friday. The 'Noles rolled right from the start of the game building a double digit lead a little more thn three minutes into the contest. They made it clear that it would not be a matter of getting the win, but what the margin of victory would be. As it turned out the final score was the largest differential in the game. Leading from start to finish, the Seminoles just continued to put the pedal down for the entire forty minutes. For those of you who had a short term investment in the game, obviously the Seminoles easy surpassed to 20.5 point spread.
FSU's defense. The Catamounts average 30 three point shots per game connecting on nearly 50%. Tonight they launched 36 but made just 8 (22%). Credit the Seminole defense which was very active all game long causing deflections (they want 35 per game, they got 50 tonight) generally getting hands in the face of the shooters. WCU had enormous difficulties in dealing with the length of the Seminole defenders. If it wasn't a deflection it was steal. Fifteen of WCU's nineteen turnovers were from FSU thefts resulting in 17 points.
Overall good passing tonight as FSU logged 19 assists on their 31 made baskets.
FSU's shooting. 57% from the floor, 9-21 (43%) from the arc, and 20-26 (77%) from the stripe. I can't say the WCU defense was particularly tough. But FSU stayed focused in this game taking advantage of what the Catamount defense gave them. Which was just about everything. Also the 'Noles were able to control and push the tempo to their liking.
The 21-3 run over the last 7:46 of the first half that blew the game wide open giving FSU a 49-20 lead at intermission.
Three Seminoles in double figures. Dequan Davis with 19 ( a season high), Jamir Watkins with 14, and Malique Ewin with 12 (all in the first half).
Plays of the game: Watkins sees the defense back way off of him leaving him all alone at the arc on the left wing. He of course canned it, 30-17. Watkins from the left wing throwing a line drive pass on a rope to Chandler Jackson cutting to the rim for the lay up, 34-17. Davis with the banked three off the glass to give the Seminoles that half time lead of 49-20. Taylor Bol Bowen on the inbound play taking an off balance shot while falling to the floor plus the foul, 59-36. All five players touching the ball with quick passing around the floor resulting in Christian Nitu hitting a wide open Justin Thomas cutting to the rim for the slam dunk , 79-48. There were plenty more stellar plays that would make this diatribe much too long.
The Bad
The second unit struggled on both ends half way through the first half which was unusual for this group this season. What was a healthy double digit lead at 20-5 turned into single digits, 23-15.
Turnovers, 18 of them in what Leonard Hamilton said after the game were turnovers of "good intentions". I don't believe I have ever heard turnovers described that way. Not so much the result of anything that WCU did defensively, but the result things like passes off target or without proper touch according to Hamilton. Obviously he wanted fewer of those, but he did not sound that concerned and that it was correctable. It was still 18 turnovers however.
The Ugly
While overall defending the perimeter was good, there were those few moments communication in switching fell apart and fell apart badly leaving a shooter standing all alone. Thankfully WCU was not knocking down those shots.
The loose ball rolling on the floor that Watkins just sort of stood there waiting for it to roll to him. Meanwhile the Catamount player (Ice Emery, great name) was not going to wait for that and the result was the transition basket the other way, 54-36. Not Watkins' best moment. But he has very few of those moments.
Up Next
Florida State with an entire week off from games before going on the road to face LSU next Tuesday at 9:00 PM as part of the ACC/SEC Challenge. The Tigers are currently 5-1 after a triple OT victory over UCF, 109-102, and will face Northwestern State on Friday. This will obviously be a tough test for the 'Noles as LSU has five players averaging double digits. The game will be on the SEC network according to the LSU website.
The Good
FSU improves to 7-1 in dominating fashion over WCU. The Seminoles made it a mission to not have any drop off after pummeling UMass last Friday. The 'Noles rolled right from the start of the game building a double digit lead a little more thn three minutes into the contest. They made it clear that it would not be a matter of getting the win, but what the margin of victory would be. As it turned out the final score was the largest differential in the game. Leading from start to finish, the Seminoles just continued to put the pedal down for the entire forty minutes. For those of you who had a short term investment in the game, obviously the Seminoles easy surpassed to 20.5 point spread.
FSU's defense. The Catamounts average 30 three point shots per game connecting on nearly 50%. Tonight they launched 36 but made just 8 (22%). Credit the Seminole defense which was very active all game long causing deflections (they want 35 per game, they got 50 tonight) generally getting hands in the face of the shooters. WCU had enormous difficulties in dealing with the length of the Seminole defenders. If it wasn't a deflection it was steal. Fifteen of WCU's nineteen turnovers were from FSU thefts resulting in 17 points.
Overall good passing tonight as FSU logged 19 assists on their 31 made baskets.
FSU's shooting. 57% from the floor, 9-21 (43%) from the arc, and 20-26 (77%) from the stripe. I can't say the WCU defense was particularly tough. But FSU stayed focused in this game taking advantage of what the Catamount defense gave them. Which was just about everything. Also the 'Noles were able to control and push the tempo to their liking.
The 21-3 run over the last 7:46 of the first half that blew the game wide open giving FSU a 49-20 lead at intermission.
Three Seminoles in double figures. Dequan Davis with 19 ( a season high), Jamir Watkins with 14, and Malique Ewin with 12 (all in the first half).
Plays of the game: Watkins sees the defense back way off of him leaving him all alone at the arc on the left wing. He of course canned it, 30-17. Watkins from the left wing throwing a line drive pass on a rope to Chandler Jackson cutting to the rim for the lay up, 34-17. Davis with the banked three off the glass to give the Seminoles that half time lead of 49-20. Taylor Bol Bowen on the inbound play taking an off balance shot while falling to the floor plus the foul, 59-36. All five players touching the ball with quick passing around the floor resulting in Christian Nitu hitting a wide open Justin Thomas cutting to the rim for the slam dunk , 79-48. There were plenty more stellar plays that would make this diatribe much too long.
The Bad
The second unit struggled on both ends half way through the first half which was unusual for this group this season. What was a healthy double digit lead at 20-5 turned into single digits, 23-15.
Turnovers, 18 of them in what Leonard Hamilton said after the game were turnovers of "good intentions". I don't believe I have ever heard turnovers described that way. Not so much the result of anything that WCU did defensively, but the result things like passes off target or without proper touch according to Hamilton. Obviously he wanted fewer of those, but he did not sound that concerned and that it was correctable. It was still 18 turnovers however.
The Ugly
While overall defending the perimeter was good, there were those few moments communication in switching fell apart and fell apart badly leaving a shooter standing all alone. Thankfully WCU was not knocking down those shots.
The loose ball rolling on the floor that Watkins just sort of stood there waiting for it to roll to him. Meanwhile the Catamount player (Ice Emery, great name) was not going to wait for that and the result was the transition basket the other way, 54-36. Not Watkins' best moment. But he has very few of those moments.
Up Next
Florida State with an entire week off from games before going on the road to face LSU next Tuesday at 9:00 PM as part of the ACC/SEC Challenge. The Tigers are currently 5-1 after a triple OT victory over UCF, 109-102, and will face Northwestern State on Friday. This will obviously be a tough test for the 'Noles as LSU has five players averaging double digits. The game will be on the SEC network according to the LSU website.
