FSU women sprint past George Mason, 94-59, in NCAA Tourney first round
Courtesy of FSU Sports Information:
BATON ROUGE, La. — The sixth-seeded FSU women’s basketball team (24-8, 13-5 ACC) defeated 11th-seeded George Mason (27-6, 14-4 A10) 94-59 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday night at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
The Seminoles earned their first NCAA Tournament victory since 2019 and defeated the Patriots in their first-ever meeting, scoring the second-highest total in an NCAA game in FSU history.
FSU began the contest by connecting on 15 of its first 20 shots and saw four different players score in double-figures.
Ta’Niya Latson led all scorers with 28 points, shooting 50 percent from the field while adding five rebounds and two assists for the Seminoles. Latson connected on 11 free throws, setting a program record for most free throws made in an NCAA Tournament game.
Makayla Timpson recorded her 16th double-double of the season, finishing with 18 points and 11 rebounds for FSU. Timpson added two blocks, bringing her total to 101 for the season. She became the seventh player in ACC history to hit 100 blocks in a single season.
O’Mariah Gordon added 18 points and four assists. Sydney Bowles finished the game 5-5 from three-point range, ending with 15 points and seven rebounds. Her five threes tied a program NCAA Tournament record.
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In the first quarter, FSU went on a 14-0 run to take a 16-3 lead. Seven different Seminoles found the bottom of the basket in the first quarter, with Latson leading the way with seven points. The Noles shot a blistering 64% from the field and held the Patriots to just 22% shooting while forcing five turnovers.
Latson doubled her point total to begin the second quarter, scoring the first seven points for FSU. The Noles stayed hot, starting the quarter 6-6, including two threes from Sydney Bowles. Latson finished the half with 16 points.
The third quarter was full of back-and-forth runs. George Mason cut the 12-point Seminole lead to seven halfway through the quarter, but the Noles responded quickly, going on a 10-0 run to go up by 17. An 11-4 Patriot run cut the lead back down to 10 entering the fourth quarter.
FSU wore down the Patriots in the final frame, outscoring George Mason 31-6.
Florida State will play in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 on Monday and awaits the winner of three-seeded LSU and 14th-seeded San Diego State. The Seminoles will be eyeing their first Sweet 16 appearance since 2018.
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