Jamir Watkins hit 19 of his 23 free-throw attempts and scored 29 points, leading Florida State to a 77-64 victory over Tulane on Saturday at the Orange Bowl Classic in Sunrise, Fla.
After a week off, the Seminoles (8-3) snapped a two-game skid. The Green Wave (5-7) lost for the sixth time in the past seven games despite Kaleb Banks’ game-high 33 points and 16 rebounds.
Tulane scored the game’s first six points before Florida State took charge with a 13-0 run and never trailed again.
The Seminoles led by as many as 19 in the second half, but lost Malique Ewin when he fouled out with 5:03 remaining in the second half. Ewin totaled 10 points and eight rebounds.
Along with his five assists and four rebounds, Watkins’ sharp shooting from the free-throw line propelled Florida State down the stretch. The Seminoles hit 29 of 35 free-throw attempts and shot 48.8 percent from the field.
The Seminoles’ defense did the rest, limiting Tulane’s opportunities and turning 14 turnovers into 16 points.
The Green Wave shot only 3-for-22 from 3-point range (13.6 percent) and struggled overall from the field, going 20-for-59 (33.9 percent). Rowan Brumbaugh totaled 15 points, but went 4-for-14 from the field and 1 for 9 from 3-point range.
Banks helped Tulane gain an edge inside as the Green Wave outrebounded the Seminoles 40-27 with a marked edge on the offensive glass (15-2). Banks had five of those and helped Tulane outscore Florida State 32-26 in the paint.
But Florida State’s guards countered with sharp shooting to counter the Green Wave’s edge inside.
For the Seminoles, Jerry Deng finished with 13 points while Daquan Davis totaled nine points, five rebounds and five assists. Justin Thomas chipped in 10 points.
–Field Level Media
