Florida State got the response it wanted after its first loss of the season, but the box score still left a familiar worry hanging over the Seminoles. The 84-60 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi pushed Luke Loucks’ team to 3-1, yet the shooting numbers told a different story than the final margin.
The Seminoles wasted no time setting the tone at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center, jumping out to a 10-0 lead after hitting 4 of their first 5 shots.
But the early burst didn’t last. Florida State cooled off badly, going just 7-for-25 from the field and 1-for-11 from three in the first half.
Even with the offense sputtering, the Seminoles still carried a 40-28 lead into halftime. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, after opening 3-for-13 from the field, settled in and used its quickness off the dribble to make Florida State work on the defensive end, something Loucks noted at the break.
Still, the bigger issue for the Seminoles was their own execution. Loucks didn’t hide his frustration when asked what he told his team at halftime.
“This was a pretty poor half on our part,” Loucks said. “I'm going to go light them up.”
Whatever was said in the locker room had the desired effect. Florida State came out of halftime with a 9-2 run, stretching the lead to 19 and shutting down any realistic path for an Islanders comeback. From there, the Seminoles stayed in control the rest of the way and never let the game get away from them.
Sebastian Rancik led the way with 17 points, his second time this week finishing as the team’s top scorer. He also added two assists and a season-high eight rebounds in 28 minutes.
Kameron Taylor followed with 14 points, plus one assist and one rebound, while going 3-for-3 at the free-throw line. Alex Steen gave Florida State 10 points off the bench.
Desmond Kent Jr. paced Texas A&M-Corpus Christi with 13 points, along with six rebounds and two assists.
Florida State’s defense and second-half push made the game comfortable, but the shooting remains the glaring concern. The Seminoles finished at 37 percent from the floor, and their work from deep was even rougher. Florida State went just 2-for-21 from three-point range, with Taylor and Brandon Bass Jr. the only players to connect from beyond the arc.
“Lots to improve on, especially offensively,” Loucks said.
That issue will be front and center again when Florida State faces Ball State on Tuesday, Nov. 17. And the challenge only grows from there, with a trip to Knoxville to play Tennessee on Dec. 1 waiting as a much bigger test for Loucks’ group.
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