Florida State gets defensive, pulls out 67-61 win over Winthrop
The Florida State men’s basketball team shot 31 percent from the field on Friday night and hit just 3 of 18 shots from 3-point range.
But the defense was good enough — when it wasn’t fouling — to lead the Seminoles to a 67-61 victory over Winthrop at the Tucker Center.
Florida State is now 6-5 on the season. Winthrop is 8-6.
Nothing about Friday night’s game was easy for the Seminoles. They trailed for most of the first half, mainly because of a horrible shooting performance that saw them go just 7-of-28 from the field and 1-of-10 from 3-point range in the first 20 minutes.
But as bad as the offense might have been, the defense was the exact opposite. The visiting Eagles struggled to get open looks all night and were forced into 24 turnovers. The Seminoles had 14 steals, including four by senior Darin Green Jr., who essentially put the game away in the final minute with a steal and fast-break dunk.
Green’s 3-pointer moments earlier gave the Seminoles their largest lead at 58-50.
From there, it was basically a parade to the free-throw line. Like it was for most of the night.
The two teams combined for 52 personal fouls and 69 free throws. They shot a staggering 52 free throws in the second half alone as the game crawled to a halt in the final 20 minutes.
But when it was over, the Seminoles had pulled off the comeback victory to push their record above .500 with a second straight win.
Guards Primo Spears and Jalen Warley both led the way with 12 points. Jamir Watkins added 11 points and three steals. And De’Ante Green finished with 10 points and 6 rebounds.
Box Score: FSU 67, Winthrop 61
Watkins, Darin Green Jr. and Spears figure to be the team’s three leading scorers this season: They shot just 8-of-30 from the floor. But Spears and Watkins combined to make 12 free throws.
Florida State plays again next Saturday at noon against Lipscomb before beginning ACC play later in the week against Georgia Tech.
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