Red-hot Seminoles blast Western Carolina, 91-57, improve to 7-1
Junior forward Malique Ewin scored 10 of Florida State’s first 12 points before the first media timeout Tuesday night, and the Florida State men’s basketball team rolled from there to a 91-57 victory over visiting Western Carolina.
The Seminoles, who have gotten off to a very strong start to the 2024-25 season, are now 7-1 and will now have a few days to enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday and prepare for a step up in competition. Leonard Hamilton’s club will play at LSU in the ACC/SEC Challenge next Wednesday, followed by their ACC opener at N.C. State on Saturday, Dec. 7.
Florida State should have plenty of confidence going into those games after another impressive performance Tuesday night. The Seminoles led by 23 points at halftime and were never threatened after the opening minutes.
“Obviously, we got off to a good start tonight,” Hamilton said. “We moved the ball, made the extra pass. I thought we were in attack mode from the beginning. We challenged our guys to start developing that mindset that allows you to come with the same level of energy every time you play. And they responded, I thought, in the first half. I’m very proud of them for that.”
Western Carolina falls to 2-3 following the game, which was originally scheduled to be played in North Carolina but was moved to Tallahassee due to the effects of Hurricane Helene, which slammed that state in late-September. Proceeds from the game went to help with hurricane relief.
After his red-hot start, Ewin played sparingly the rest of the game and finished with 12 points and four rebounds. Freshman point guard Daquan Davis ended up leading the team with a career-high 19 points on 5-of-6 shooting. He hit 3 of 4 attempts from 3-point range and 6 of 7 from the free-throw line.
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“He only has one gear — that’s with all his heart and all his soul,” Hamilton said of Davis. “He has an unselfish spirit. He’s extremely confident for a youngster. And he’s a tremendous addition to our program.”
Junior guard Jamir Watkins added 14 points and four assists.
Eleven different players scored for Florida State, and 10 scored at least four points. The Seminoles connected on 57 percent of their shots from the field, 9 of 21 from 3-point range and 20 of 26 from the free-throw line.
The Seminoles’ defense, meanwhile, forced Western Carolina into 19 turnovers. Guard Chandler Jackson led the way with five steals, and Florida State racked up 15 as a team.
“That’s exceptional,” Hamilton said.
Box Score: FSU 91, Western Carolina 57
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