Florida State men’s basketball was too hot to handle for Alabama State from a shooting aspect. On Friday night, FSU took down the ASU 101-64 to give first-year coach Luke Loucks his second win on the season.
The Seminoles were shooting circles around the Hornets inside and out. The first 20 of the 30 shots were from behind the arc. The Seminoles shot 35 of 74 (47.3 percent) from the field, including knocking down 18 3s out of 47 attempts, which not only broke the school record but the ACC’s single-game record. “
Leading the way was senior guard LaJae Jones, as he dropped 20 points and six rebounds for the Seminoles. Jones was nearly perfect from the field, shooting 8 of 9 and 4 of 5 from behind the arc. After the game, Jones ‘ performance was a reflection of putting his trust in Loucks and the connection he has with his teammates.”
“You can’t guarantee that it’s going to be a hot night or a cold night,” Jones said.
“It’s just trusting the work you put in and just trusting your teammates to find you to help create those open shots within the rive and kick swing or just playing fast in transition.”
Three more starters finished in double figures for FSU. Kobe MaGee dropped 16 points, six rebounds and three steals. Robert McCray V and Chauncey Wiggins tied at 12. McCray added six rebounds and five assists. Wiggins had five rebounds and three assists.
FSU was also effective at the foul line, knocking 13 of its 14 free throws the whole game.
Luke Loucks expresses frustration with the first half. FSU basketball responded
The Hornets may have trailed in double digits the whole night, but they weren’t completely out of the game at first. It was 46-30 at the half. Loucks was disappointed by the way Alabama State outperformed them in the first half.
“I thought our team competed. The second half was better than the first. I lit them up a bit at halftime, just because I felt like outside the last few minutes of the half, they outcompeted us. I didn’t care if we’re up by 16. I thought it was a poor half of basketball. I thought we were hesitating offensively. Their zone git us on our heels a little bit. We were turning down good looks, and that’s not our brand of basketball.”
FSU responded well in the second half in the best way. The Seminoles were lights out, knocking down 10 3s to seal the deal against the Hornets. On the defensive end. FSU produced 10 steals and scored 31 points off of Alabama State’s turnovers. The Seminoles also won the rebound battle 46-32.
“I thought our players responded,” Loucks said.
“I thought it was a great half of basketball where we did a good job on defense, creating good looks on offense and defense. Our defense can fuel our offense. Once we get out and run, it’s going to be really hard to stop us.”
With two wins under its belt, FSU will have its first test next Tuesday against its in-state rival, Florida. Tipoff for the Sunshine State showdown is scheduled for 7 p.m. The game will be televised on the SEC Network.
Florida State men’s basketball’s schedule
Peter Holland Jr. covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at PHolland@Gannett.com or on X @_Da_pistol.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU basketball breaks single-season record for most 3-point attempts to defeat Alabama State
Reporting by Peter Holland Jr., Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
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