2018-19 Women's Basketball - Year In Review | |
| Coaching Staff Sue Semrau, Head Coach Melissa Bruner, Director of Operations JC Carter, Assistant Coach Will Cowen, Dir of Player Development Joy McCorvey, Assistant Coach Dave Plettl, Strength and Conditioning Brooke Wyckoff, Associate Head Coach  Click here to see individual mug shots |
 |
Morgan Jones, 6-2, G, Jonesboro, Ga.
Valencia Myers, 6-3, F, Solon, Ohio
Izabela Nicoletti, 5-10, G, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Kourtney Weber, 5-10, G, New Orleans, La.
2018-19 Roster - By Name
L
T PY
R No Name Pos Hgt Cl Ltr Hometown (Prior School)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* 4 Amaya Brown G 5-11 Fr Albuquerque, N.Mex. (Cibola)
* 12 Nicki Ekhomu G 5-9 Jr ** Bolingbrook, Ill. (Joliet Catholic Academy)
* 15 Kiah Gillespie F 6-2 Jr-R Meriden, Conn. (Capital Prep/Maryland)
* 24 Morgan Jones G 6-2 Fr Jonesboro, Ga. (Our Lady of Mercy)
* 3 Sayawni Lassiter G 5-10 Fr-R Dorchester, Mass. (Newton North)
11 Iho Lopez F 6-2 So-R * Blanes, Spain (IMG Academy)
* 32 Valencia Myers F 6-3 Fr Solon, Ohio (Solon)
33 Izabela Nicoletti G 5-10 Fr Sao Paulo, Brazil (Neuse Christian Academy)
* 10 Kourtney Weber G 5-10 Fr New Orleans, La. (Ursuline Academy)
* 31 Savannah Wilkinson G 5-11 So * London, England (Barking Abbey)
* 13 Nausia Woolfolk G 5-9 Jr ** Fort Valley, Ga. (Peach County)
2018-19 Roster - By Number
L
T PY
R No Name Pos Hgt Cl Ltr Hometown (Prior School)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* 3 Sayawni Lassiter G 5-10 Fr-R Dorchester, Mass. (Newton North)
* 4 Amaya Brown G 5-11 Fr Albuquerque, N.Mex. (Cibola)
* 10 Kourtney Weber G 5-10 Fr New Orleans, La. (Ursuline Academy)
11 Iho Lopez F 6-2 So-R * Blanes, Spain (IMG Academy)
* 12 Nicki Ekhomu G 5-9 Jr ** Bolingbrook, Ill. (Joliet Catholic Academy)
* 13 Nausia Woolfolk G 5-9 Jr ** Fort Valley, Ga. (Peach County)
* 15 Kiah Gillespie F 6-2 Jr-R Meriden, Conn. (Capital Prep/Maryland)
* 24 Morgan Jones G 6-2 Fr Jonesboro, Ga. (Our Lady of Mercy)
* 31 Savannah Wilkinson G 5-11 So * London, England (Barking Abbey)
* 32 Valencia Myers F 6-3 Fr Solon, Ohio (Solon)
33 Izabela Nicoletti G 5-10 Fr Sao Paulo, Brazil (Neuse Christian Academy)
2018-19 Conference Awards
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kiah Gillespie Atlantic Coast Conference - All-Conference - 1st Team
Valencia Myers Atlantic Coast Conference - All-Freshman
All-Conference - 2
2018-19 All-Americans
Name Organization
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kiah Gillespie Women's Basketball Coaches Association - All-American - Honorable Mention
All-Americans - 1
2018-19 Schedules and Results
GAME |
SCORE |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Troy | |||||
| North Florida | |||||
| Florida | |||||
| Jacksonville | |||||
| Louisiana State | |||||
| Eastern Kentucky Junkanoo Jam, Bimini, Bahamas |
|||||
| Iowa Junkanoo Jam, Bimini, Bahamas |
|||||
| Penn State ACC/Big Ten Challenge |
|||||
| Mercer | |||||
| Saint John's | |||||
| Creighton | |||||
| Wisconsin-Milwaukee | |||||
| Georgia State | |||||
| Virginia | |||||
| North Carolina | |||||
| Clemson | |||||
| Boston College | |||||
| Duke | |||||
| Louisville | |||||
| Virginia Tech | |||||
| Miami | |||||
| Wake Forest | |||||
| North Carolina State | |||||
| Notre Dame | |||||
| Clemson | |||||
| Pittsburgh | |||||
| Miami | |||||
| Syracuse | |||||
| Georgia Tech | |||||
| Duke ACC, Greensboro, N.C. |
|||||
| North Carolina State ACC, Greensboro, N.C. |
|||||
| Bucknell NCAA, Charlotte, N.C. |
|||||
| South Carolina NCAA, Charlotte, N.C. |
EOY StatsRef Overall Home Away Neutral ------------------------------------------------ FSU record is 24- 9 12- 4 8- 3 4- 2 vs ACC 10- 6 5- 3 5- 3 0- 0
2019 Atlantic Coast Conference Results 1t Louisville 14- 2 32- 4 1t Notre Dame 14- 2 35- 4 3t Miami 12- 4 25- 9 3t North Carolina State 12- 4 28- 6 5 Syracuse 11- 5 25- 9 6 Florida State 10- 6 24- 9 7 Clemson 9- 7 20-13 8 North Carolina 8- 8 18-15 9 Georgia Tech 7- 9 17-13 10t Duke 6-10 15-15 10t Virginia Tech 6-10 22-11 12 Virginia 5-11 12-19 13 Boston College 3-13 14-16 14 Pittsburgh 2-14 11-20 15 Wake Forest 1-15 10-20
2019 CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT, Greensboro, NC Date Score Comments ========== ================================================== ================================== 03/06/2019 (12)Virginia 77, (13)Boston College 61 Round 1 03/06/2019 (10)Virginia Tech 85, (15)Wake Forest 63 Round 1 03/06/2019 (11)Duke 86, (14)Pittsburgh 64 Round 1 03/07/2019 (5)Syracuse 67, (12)Virginia 57 Round 2 03/07/2019 (8)North Carolina 80, (9)Georgia Tech 73 Round 2 03/07/2019 (7)Clemson 80, (10)Virginia Tech 79 Round 2, OT 03/07/2019 (6)Florida State 51, (11)Duke 41 Round 2 03/08/2019 (1)Notre Dame 95, (8)North Carolina 77 Round 3 03/08/2019 (2)Louisville 75, (7)Clemson 67 Round 3 03/08/2019 (3)North Carolina State 69, (6)Florida State 62 Round 3 03/08/2019 (5)Syracuse 92, (4)Miami 85 Round 3 03/09/2019 (1)Notre Dame 91, (5)Syracuse 66 Round 4 03/09/2019 (2)Louisville 78, (3)North Carolina State 68 Round 4 03/10/2019 (1)Notre Dame 99, (2)Louisville 79 Round 5
2018-19 EOY Stats
--3 Point--- ----REBOUNDS----- Name GP GS Min FGM FGA PCT FGM FGA PCT FTM FTA PCT PTS AVG OFF DEF TOT AVG PF DQ AST TO BLK STL =================================================================================================================================== Kiah Gillespie 33 33 1112 212 497 .427 53 172 .308 56 80 .700 533 16.2 86 221 307 9.3 56 2 59 66 24 27 Nicki Ekhomu 33 33 1125 162 399 .406 45 138 .326 127 159 .799 496 15.0 42 73 115 3.5 71 2 133 69 11 56 Nausia Woolfolk 33 32 1046 171 453 .377 43 161 .267 59 83 .711 444 13.5 50 90 140 4.2 77 1 78 83 4 55 Valencia Myers 33 32 786 109 229 .476 2 12 .167 73 93 .785 293 8.9 74 116 190 5.8 115 8 19 83 54 36 Morgan Jones 33 9 535 72 130 .554 1 6 .167 25 49 .510 170 5.2 34 59 93 2.8 54 1 9 33 9 19 Savannah Wilkinson 33 1 757 43 118 .364 4 38 .105 13 20 .650 103 3.1 62 85 147 4.5 52 0 30 41 11 14 Kourtney Weber 33 22 578 37 117 .316 20 71 .282 8 8 1.00 102 3.1 16 43 59 1.8 45 1 28 27 11 8 Amaya Brown 20 3 312 20 49 .408 2 9 .222 19 27 .704 61 3.1 20 17 37 1.9 40 1 29 24 4 13 Sayawni Lassiter 27 0 349 14 61 .230 10 43 .233 20 25 .800 58 2.1 15 27 42 1.6 47 1 31 21 0 21 Team 76 59 135 0.0 2 ============================================================================================================== FSU 33 840 2053 .409 180 650 .277 400 544 .735 2260 68.5 475 790 1265 38.3 557 17 416 449 128 249 Opp 33 760 1834 .414 165 520 .317 334 486 .687 2019 61.2 327 767 1094 33.2 547 11 386 541 98 194
Ekhomu’s Career-Best 31 Lifts Noles Past Troy.
Junior guard Nicki Ekhomu matched her career high at halftime as Florida State Women’s Basketball
had an impressive 103-67 season-opening win.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Knowing she has to take on a new leadership role as a junior this season, guard Nicki Ekhomu led by example on Tuesday afternoon with a career-high 31 points as Florida State Women’s Basketball (1-0) earned a 103-67 victory over Troy at the Donald L. Tucker Center.
Tuesday’s season opener was a special 11 a.m. tip-off time with ‘Field Trip Day,’ as over 1,500 kids helped make up the near 4,000 fans in attendance.
Ekhomu, a native of Bolingbrook, Ill., went 8-of-12 from the floor and 12-of-14 from the free throw line. Her 12 made free throws was also a career high and is tied for the 15th-most in a game in program history. She added five rebounds, and primarily handling the ball as a point guard, she added three assists to just two turnovers.
Ekhomu set the tone for the Seminoles early, matching her previous career high of 20 points by halftime.
“This is a group that has a desire to really learn and get better, and as a result of that when they went out today I thought their poise early was the big difference,” FSU head coach Sue Semrau said of her squad.
“Nicki playing the point, which she hasn’t done at the college level much. Valencia (Myers) coming in in her first college game… I thought there was a ton of poise and a lot of things we did really well. I’m really proud of them.”
Freshman forward Valencia Myers, a McDonald’s All-American, made a strong debut with 17 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks. The Solon, Ohio, product got her double-double in her opening game and also became the 16th Seminole to produce at least five blocks in a game.
Redshirt junior forward Kiah Gillespie filled up the cup with 22 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Gillespie went 9-of-19 from the floor and had 13 of her 22 in the second half.
Playing against a talented Troy team that returned 83 percent of its offense from 2017-18, FSU benefitted by breaking the game open early. A 9-8 lead midway through the first quarter for the Seminoles turned into a 27-8 advantage on an 18-0 run.
Florida State made the most of its free throws, shooting 30-of-36. Troy went 20-of-37 from the line, as a combined 58 personal fouls were called (33 by Troy, 25 by FSU).
FSU’s defense forced the Trojans into a sloppy offensive performance, as Troy recorded just three assists to 23 turnovers. The Seminoles out-rebounded Troy 63-43 and held a sizeable advantage in the paint at 48-20.
“I think this is a really good win for us,” Semrau added. “Troy is a veteran basketball team that really comes at you. We handled it very well.”
NO NAME GS MIN FGM FGA 3FGM 3FGA FTM FTA PTS OREB DREB REB PF AST TO BLK STL
== ==================== == === === === ==== ==== === === === ==== ==== === == === == === ===
10 Kourtney Weber g 18 0 2 0 1 2 2 2 1 4 5 5 2 4 0 1
12 Nicki Ekhomu g 31 8 12 3 5 12 14 31 4 1 5 1 3 2 0 1
13 Nausia Woolfolk g 30 4 15 1 6 1 2 10 3 2 5 3 5 1 0 1
15 Kiah Gillespie f 33 9 19 2 8 2 3 22 3 9 12 2 2 2 0 1
32 Valencia Myers f 24 5 7 0 0 7 8 17 4 6 10 5 0 3 5 1
4 Amaya Brown 21 1 4 0 0 2 2 4 4 0 4 3 4 5 0 0
24 Morgan Jones 19 3 11 0 2 0 1 6 0 6 6 3 0 0 1 0
31 Savannah Wilkinson 24 3 10 1 8 4 4 11 2 5 7 3 1 2 0 1
Team 4 5 9
=========================================================================
FSU 5 200 33 80 7 30 30 36 103 25 38 63 25 17 19 6 6
Opp 200 21 75 5 23 20 37 67 21 22 43 33 3 23 3 11
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Troy | |||||
| Florida State |
Gillespie’s Double-Double Sparks FSU Victory.
by Gianna Arantes
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - After coming off a long 2017-2018 season awaiting eligibility, redshirt junior forward Kiah Gillespie took command in her second appearance as a Seminole on Friday night and led Florida State Women’s Basketball to a 74-53 win over UNF.
Gillespie scored 17 points with a career-high 12 rebounds as Florida State (2-0) used an early second-half run to pull away from the Ospreys (0-1).
A transfer from Maryland, Gillespie recorded her second double-double in the second game of the season. She grabbed nine rebounds and had 11 of her 17 in the second half. She went 7-of-13 from the floor and added four assists in the win.
FSU led by eight at the end of the first half, but the game took a turning point when the Seminoles broke open the third quarter, turning a 41-33 lead into a 51-33 advantage on a 10-0 run.
Junior guard Nicki Ekhomu went 6-of-11 from the floor and added 15 points. Primarily handling the ball as a point guard, she added six assists with just one turnover. Her six assists were a career high, reaching five six previous times.
Three of Florida State’s true freshmen in Valencia Myers, Amaya Brown, and Kourtney Weber contributed greatly tonight, combining to score 29 of 74 points for the Seminoles.
Myers added ten points with two blocks. Brown scored a career-high 10 points, with five rebounds and one assist.
Weber picked up nine points, all by three 3-point field goals. She recorded four rebounds with two assists.
The Seminoles held UNF to zero second-chance points while totaling 13 of their own.
FSU’s defense propelled the Ospreys into several miscues and they produced just nine assists to 13 turnovers, compared to Florida State’s 19 assists to 14 turnovers.
NO NAME GS MIN FGM FGA 3FGM 3FGA FTM FTA PTS OREB DREB REB PF AST TO BLK STL
== ==================== == === === === ==== ==== === === === ==== ==== === == === == === ===
10 Kourtney Weber g 27 3 9 3 8 0 0 9 0 4 4 2 2 0 0 0
12 Nicki Ekhomu g 30 6 11 2 5 0 0 14 0 3 3 1 6 1 1 2
13 Nausia Woolfolk g 30 2 6 1 3 0 0 5 1 0 1 1 2 2 0 0
15 Kiah Gillespie f 28 7 13 0 3 3 4 17 4 9 13 0 4 2 1 0
32 Valencia Myers f 30 5 10 0 0 0 0 10 2 6 8 2 3 4 2 0
4 Amaya Brown 19 4 8 1 3 1 3 10 2 3 5 2 1 1 0 0
24 Morgan Jones 13 2 5 0 0 0 0 4 0 1 1 2 1 2 0 0
31 Savannah Wilkinson 23 2 3 1 2 0 0 5 3 2 5 1 0 2 1 0
Team 1 2 3
=========================================================================
FSU 5 200 31 65 8 24 4 7 74 13 30 43 11 19 14 5 2
Opp 200 20 54 4 20 9 11 53 4 19 23 10 9 13 3 2
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Florida | |||||
| Florida State |
Gillespie’s Big Second Half Helps Take Down Gators.
The redshirt junior forward totaled 19 points and nine boards, including 12 points in the
final 20 minutes, to lift Florida State to a 63-56 win over Florida
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Redshirt junior forward Kiah Gillespie introduced herself to the Fresh From Florida Sunshine Showdown the best way she could. Her 19 points and nine rebounds led Florida State Women’s Basketball to a hard-fought 63-56 win over rival Florida on Sunday afternoon at the Donald L. Tucker Center.
Gillespie made some big plays in the second half, with 12 of her 19 coming in the third and fourth quarters to put the Gators (0-2) away. The Seminoles (3-0) have now won three straight over their rivals, eight of the last 10 and five straight in Tallahassee.
For Gillespie, she doesn’t mind shouldering the scoring load and believes many of her looks are attributed to the help she receives.
“I credit a lot of that to my teammates,” Gillespie said of being the team’s biggest scorer. “Them getting me open and doing what they have to do has gotten me a lot of easy shots. Without them doing that, I wouldn’t have as many points as I have. Once teams zone in on me, I can kick out, and we can keep rolling.”
While the Gators’ last three trips to Tallahassee have seen an average losing margin of 27.3 points, Sunday’s result was far different. A gritty first half saw UF take a slim 28-27 advantage, which was actually kept close by a 7-0 FSU run to end the half.
Perhaps the biggest turning point came early in the third quarter with the play of freshman center Valencia Myers. She ignited a 6-0 run by herself that took a 28-27 deficit and turned it into a 33-28 lead. The freshmen forward raised her game in the second half as well, finishing with 13 points and eight boards. She has double-figure point totals in all three games.
“I feel like we answered every time they came down,” FSU head coach Sue Semrau said. “I feel like (Delicia) Washington did a tremendous job going one on one with our post player, and then zone. I thought Funda (Nakkasoglu) does a good job of finding openings, and we lost her a few times. But they lost some of us too. For an early-season game, it was a great battle for both teams.”
Junior guard Nicki Ekhomu found other ways to contribute at the point guard spot, shelling out eight assists to only three turnovers in 37 minutes. Through three games, she has 17 assists to just six turnovers.
Sophomore guard Savannah Wilkinson, whose role has changed a bit as she battles in the post more, came up with six rebounds including a final offensive board with 41 seconds left as FSU clung to a 62-56 lead.
Redshirt senior guard Funda Nakkasoglu led all scorers with 21 points, while UF’s Delicia Washington added 12. The Gators held a 10-point lead at 18-8 early in the second quarter, their largest lead over the Seminoles since 2015. However, FSU’s half-closing run coupled with big stops in the second half highlighted the rivalry win.
Having to play the Gators on one-day preparation and finishing an opening week with three games played, Semrau is embracing the grind that is the season.
“If it were different outcomes it might have felt like a concern,” Semrau said of the three-game opening week. “I love that we’ve been able to play – we needed to play. The only way to grow up is to play in these situations, and I thought that this was a great game.
“My schedule coordinator gave us one-day prep between North Florida and Florida, and that’s what happens in the NCAA Tournament so you might as well get prepared now.”
NO NAME GS MIN FGM FGA 3FGM 3FGA FTM FTA PTS OREB DREB REB PF AST TO BLK STL
== ==================== == === === === ==== ==== === === === ==== ==== === == === == === ===
10 Kourtney Weber g 15 0 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 2 3 1 0 0 0
12 Nicki Ekhomu g 37 2 10 0 4 2 3 6 0 6 6 1 8 3 0 1
13 Nausia Woolfolk g 33 4 11 1 5 1 1 10 2 1 3 2 2 5 0 2
15 Kiah Gillespie f 34 8 19 2 7 1 4 19 4 5 9 3 1 2 2 0
32 Valencia Myers f 26 4 9 0 1 5 7 13 3 5 8 3 0 1 2 2
4 Amaya Brown 16 3 4 1 2 0 0 7 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 1
24 Morgan Jones 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
31 Savannah Wilkinson 35 3 10 1 7 1 2 8 2 4 6 0 1 0 0 0
Team 2 6 8
=========================================================================
FSU 5 200 24 66 5 27 10 17 63 13 29 42 14 13 11 4 6
Opp 200 21 60 9 25 5 10 56 8 30 38 20 9 13 2 5
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | |||||
| Florida State |
Woolfolk Leads Noles Over Jacksonville.
Junior guard Nausia Woolfolk established a career high with five 3-point field goals in a 79-46 victory
over the Dolphins
by Hannah Drosdick
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Junior guard Nausia Woolfolk led the way for the Seminoles on Thursday in a 79-46 victory over Jacksonville University at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center.
Woolfolk registered 17 points for Florida State, with a career-high five three-pointers. The junior captain added four assists, tying a team high, and four rebounds on the evening.
“Right now our defense is a strong point,” Woolfolk said after the game. “Like Coach Sue says, ‘If you defend, your offense will always come.’ So defense is our strong point and we’ve been focusing on that. It gives us energy and momentum.”
The Seminoles tied a program record with 12 three-pointers, shooting 44.4 percent (12-of-27) from beyond the arc. Florida State has reached the mark on five prior occasions, the most recent being last season in their 105-67 rout of Miami at the Tucker Center.
Redshirt junior forward Kiah Gillespie contributed 14 points and six rebounds for the Seminoles, while reigning ACC Rookie of the Week Valencia Myers added 14 points of her own and led the team with three blocks. In addition, she tied a team high with eight rebounds.
Gillespie and Myers are the only two Seminoles to have scored in double figures in each of the four games this season.
Junior guard Nicki Ekhomu made her presence known at the point guard spot, with 13 points and four assists on the night. Although held scoreless, sophomore guard Savannah Wilkinson shared the team high with Myers for rebounds, registering a career high of eight.
The Seminoles took control of the game with an 18-0 run toward the end of the second quarter that lasted just over five and a half minutes. Throughout that stretch, Florida State forced five turnovers by the Dolphins and scored four of their 12 three-pointers on the evening.
Overall, Florida State shot 46.8 percent (29-of-62) from the floor while holding Jacksonville to just 34 percent (18-of-53).
NO NAME GS MIN FGM FGA 3FGM 3FGA FTM FTA PTS OREB DREB REB PF AST TO BLK STL
== ==================== == === === === ==== ==== === === === ==== ==== === == === == === ===
10 Kourtney Weber g 24 3 10 1 4 0 0 7 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0
12 Nicki Ekhomu g 28 5 9 3 6 0 0 13 2 3 5 0 4 3 1 2
13 Nausia Woolfolk g 30 6 14 5 10 0 0 17 1 3 4 2 4 2 1 0
15 Kiah Gillespie f 26 5 10 1 3 3 4 14 1 5 6 2 3 3 1 1
32 Valencia Myers f 25 5 7 1 1 3 3 14 4 4 8 4 1 2 3 0
4 Amaya Brown 19 3 6 0 0 2 2 8 2 0 2 2 3 4 0 3
24 Morgan Jones 18 2 4 1 1 1 4 6 1 1 2 0 0 1 1 1
31 Savannah Wilkinson 30 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 5 3 8 1 0 0 2 0
Team 2 2 4
=========================================================================
FSU 5 200 29 62 12 27 9 13 79 18 22 40 12 16 15 9 7
Opp 200 18 53 4 15 6 9 46 13 15 28 17 6 20 2 5
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville | |||||
| Florida State |
Seminoles Suffer First Loss of the Season Against LSU.
Damaging second quarter helps the Tigers pull away as Florida State Women’s Basketball
falls 58-45 at the Donald L. Tucker Center.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A momentum-swinging second quarter by LSU broke open Sunday’s game and propelled the Tigers to a 58-45 win over Florida State Women’s Basketball at the Donald L. Tucker Center. The loss to a non-conference foe on their home floor is a rare one for the Seminoles.
A 22-0 second quarter by the Tigers (3-1) broke the game open, turning a 17-13 first-quarter Seminoles lead (4-1) into a 35-17 halftime deficit. The loss by the Seminoles was just their fourth non-conference home loss in their last 55 non-conference games played at the Tucker Center.
A bright spot was the play of junior guard Nausia Woolfolk, who led all scorers with 14 points. Following a game against Jacksonville where FSU drilled a program-record tying 12 3-point field goals, it was done in by a 2-for-20 performance from beyond the arc. A stingy defense by the sizeable Tigers forced a lot of tough shots both inside and out.
Overall, Florida State is now 62-6 at home since the start of the 2014-15 season, highlighting the rarity that is an opponent victory in Tallahassee.
Aside from the second-quarter performance, the Seminoles played pretty evenly with the Tigers – out-scoring them 17-8 in the fourth quarter in what was a lofty comeback bid. For the first time this season, FSU was out-rebounded as LSU grabbed 38 boards compared to FSU’s 34 off the glass.
LSU was efficient from the field all afternoon and forced its slower pace. The Tigers shot 48.8 percent from the floor, with 43 of their 51 field-goal attempts coming inside. Their game plan of working the ball inside and getting quality drives to the hoop paid off, only attempting eight 3-point field goals.
Freshman forward Valencia Myers added nine points and three steals for the Seminoles. Redshirt junior forward Kiah Gillespie nearly had a double-double with eight points and nine rebounds.
NO NAME GS MIN FGM FGA 3FGM 3FGA FTM FTA PTS OREB DREB REB PF AST TO BLK STL
== ==================== == === === === ==== ==== === === === ==== ==== === == === == === ===
10 Kourtney Weber g 25 0 5 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 2 0 0 0
12 Nicki Ekhomu g 34 1 11 0 4 2 2 4 2 5 7 2 0 5 0 2
13 Nausia Woolfolk g 31 6 13 2 6 0 0 14 2 0 2 3 1 0 0 1
15 Kiah Gillespie f 29 3 7 0 0 2 4 8 2 7 9 5 1 5 0 0
32 Valencia Myers f 29 3 12 0 2 3 4 9 1 3 4 3 0 3 1 3
3 Sayawni Lassiter 15 0 3 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 1
4 Amaya Brown 9 2 2 0 0 0 1 4 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0
24 Morgan Jones 7 1 3 0 1 2 5 4 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 1
31 Savannah Wilkinson 21 1 6 0 2 0 0 2 1 3 4 4 0 0 0 0
Team 5 5
=========================================================================
FSU 5 200 17 62 2 20 9 16 45 16 18 34 22 5 13 1 8
Opp 200 21 43 3 8 13 22 58 7 31 38 18 16 19 4 7
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana State | |||||
| Florida State |
Strong Finish Gets Florida State to Junkanoo Jam Title Game.
A 15-0 run to begin the fourth quarter helped Florida State Women’s Basketball get
past Eastern Kentucky, 62-45, on Friday night.
BIMINI, Bahamas – When crunch time came, the Seminoles came to play. A 15-0 run to begin the fourth quarter turned a seven-point lead into an insurmountable advantage as Florida State Women’s Basketball defeated Eastern Kentucky, 62-45, on Friday night at the Junkanoo Jam in Bimini, Bahamas.
The Seminoles (5-1) ended the third quarter ahead 42-35, but redshirt junior Kiah Gillespie led the charge in the final period and finished with a game-high 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting. Gillespie scored 13 of her 21 in the fourth quarter, including a one-minute stretch where she scored seven points. It is her second 20-point game of the season, only surpassed by her 22 points scored in the season opener vs. Troy.
Freshman Valencia Myers added 14 points and 12 rebounds on 7-of-9 shooting, igniting a key stretch to open the fourth when she had back-to-back buckets to extend the Seminole lead to 11. Myers recorded her second double-double of the season and added one block, giving her at least one rejection in each game so far.
Junior guard Nausia Woolfolk added eight points and a season-best eight rebounds, giving the Seminoles an edge in the first half. Junior Nicki Ekhomu added a team-high six assists in the win.
Helped by its 58.3 shooting percentage in the fourth quarter (7-of-12), FSU shot 49.1 percent from the floor overall and out-rebounded the Colonels (0-4) 38-23.
NO NAME GS MIN FGM FGA 3FGM 3FGA FTM FTA PTS OREB DREB REB PF AST TO BLK STL
== ==================== == === === === ==== ==== === === === ==== ==== === == === == === ===
10 Kourtney Weber g 19 1 2 0 1 0 0 2 0 1 1 0 0 2 1 0
12 Nicki Ekhomu g 30 1 6 1 4 0 0 3 1 1 2 0 6 3 0 0
13 Nausia Woolfolk g 31 4 11 0 4 0 0 8 3 5 8 1 2 3 0 3
15 Kiah Gillespie f 29 8 13 1 4 4 4 21 1 5 6 1 0 4 1 1
32 Valencia Myers f 26 7 9 0 0 0 1 14 5 7 12 5 0 3 1 1
3 Sayawni Lassiter 13 0 4 0 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 1
4 Amaya Brown 16 1 2 0 1 0 0 2 0 1 1 2 0 2 0 0
24 Morgan Jones 10 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
31 Savannah Wilkinson 26 4 6 1 2 1 2 10 0 3 3 1 2 3 0 0
Team 3 3
=========================================================================
FSU 5 200 26 53 3 19 7 9 62 13 25 38 11 11 20 3 6
Opp 200 17 50 9 25 2 2 45 8 15 23 14 9 21 3 6
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida State | |||||
| Eastern Kentucky |
Woolfolk’s 25 Leads Noles to Junkanoo Jam Title.
Nausia Woolfolk’s career night upends No. 12/14 Iowa, 71-67, to give the Seminoles their sixth
tournament title in the Caribbean.
BIMINI, Bahamas (Seminoles.com) – Playing against a daunting Top-15 opponent in Iowa, a young Florida State Women’s Basketball team needed a big-time player to step up. That player on Saturday night was junior guard Nausia Woolfolk.
The Fort Valley, Ga., native dropped a career-high 25 points in the Seminoles’ (6-1) thrilling 71-67 win over No. 12/14 Iowa (4-1), securing their second Junkanoo Jam title and their sixth championship in a Caribbean tournament.
The victory marks head coach Sue Semrau’s 43rd AP Top 25 win. For Woolfolk, it was her remarkable spin moves and ferocious drives to the basket that the Hawkeye defenders could not stay in front of. She also made big free throws down the stretch, going 8-of-11 from the line and added five rebounds and two steals.
Woolfolk emerged as the Junkanoo Jam MVP.
Florida State’s win over Iowa is its second in as many seasons after knocking them off last year, 94-93, in Iowa City as part of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. Only three current members played in that game, with Woolfolk being one of them.
Redshirt junior Kiah Gillespie made some big shots in the second half and finished with 13 points and nine rebounds. Gillespie was added to the Junkanoo Jam All-Tournament Team.
Freshman Valencia Myers led FSU’s aggressive defense in the post, repeatedly denying Iowa’s front-court players from getting quality looks. Myers finished with 10 points and nine rebounds.
Iowa’s Tania Davis made the game very interesting when she nailed a 3-pointer and got the foul called to draw the Hawkeyes to 69-67 with 5.7 seconds left. Davis missed the free throw and Myers pulled down the aggressive rebound. She calmly sank the ensuing free throws at the other end to close the door on the game.
Myers came through with two big free throws only seconds earlier, putting FSU ahead 68-61 with 30.4 seconds left.
Junior Nicki Ekhomu added 10 points for the Seminoles, and redshirt freshman Sayawni Lassiter had five. Freshman Morgan Jones played big minutes and added four points off the bench along with two steals.
FSU out-rebounded Iowa 37-30 and forced 19 Hawkeye turnovers as part of the big win.
NO NAME GS MIN FGM FGA 3FGM 3FGA FTM FTA PTS OREB DREB REB PF AST TO BLK STL
== ==================== == === === === ==== ==== === === === ==== ==== === == === == === ===
10 Kourtney Weber g 21 0 4 0 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 3 0 1
12 Nicki Ekhomu g 29 4 9 0 1 2 4 10 1 1 2 4 2 2 0 1
13 Nausia Woolfolk g 32 8 16 1 3 8 11 25 1 4 5 0 1 2 0 2
15 Kiah Gillespie f 33 6 15 1 3 0 0 13 2 7 9 0 0 2 0 0
32 Valencia Myers f 29 3 7 0 0 4 4 10 3 6 9 2 2 2 0 1
3 Sayawni Lassiter 14 2 2 1 1 0 0 5 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0
4 Amaya Brown 8 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0
24 Morgan Jones 14 2 5 0 1 0 0 4 1 1 2 1 1 1 0 2
31 Savannah Wilkinson 20 2 4 0 1 0 0 4 3 0 3 1 1 2 0 2
Team 1 5 6
=========================================================================
FSU 5 200 27 64 3 14 14 19 71 13 25 38 10 10 14 0 9
Opp 200 30 59 4 15 3 4 67 5 25 30 19 18 19 2 6
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida State | |||||
| Iowa |
Gillespie Leads Noles to Win in ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
Florida State Defeats Penn State 87-58 behind Kiah Gillespie’s 27 points.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida State Women’s Basketball team won their seventh consecutive ACC/Big Ten Challenge matchup in an 87-58 victory over Penn State on Thursday at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center. The leader of that charge was a former Big Ten player herself, redshirt junior forward Kiah Gillespie.
The Maryland transfer led the Seminoles on the night with a career-high 27 points. Gillespie got out to a hot start, scoring 10 of Florida State’s first 17 points seven minutes into the game. Her 20 points in the first half tied junior guard Nicki Ekhomu with the most in a half this season. Gillespie added five rebounds, an assist and a steal to her contributions on the night.
“It was definitely my teammates getting to their spots,” Gillespie had to say of her performance. “I credit a lot of that to them. If they don’t space out the floor then I’m not able to get in those gaps and those seams that we work so hard for in practice, so I think a lot of that was to them being where they were supposed to be.”
Her teammate Valencia Myers had a career night of her own, besting her previous career-high of 12 rebounds from last week with 14 on Thursday. The freshman forward added 11 points to her total to register her third double-double of the season.
Junior guards Nausia Woolfolk and Ekhomu each scored in double figures. Woolfolk posted 16 following her Junkanoo Jam MVP performance against No. 12/14 Iowa on Saturday, while Ekhomu added 11. The two shared the team lead for assists with six.
Sayawni Lassiter scored her first points at the Tucker Center on Thursday with a career-high of nine, all from beyond the arc. She followed Woolfolk and Ekhomu with a career-best three assists.
“The chemistry has been great, it’s been a lot of fun,” Florida State Head Coach Sue Semrau said. “It’s developing on the court with the communication and that’s because they are so willing off the court to take care of one another, learn each other, and build relationships.”
The Seminoles and Lady Lions played to an even 21-21 to end the first quarter. From there, FSU went on to outscore Penn State 66-37 in the remainder of the game. Florida State registered its best shooting performance of the season, shooting 50.7 percent (35-of-69) on the evening and 42.3 percent (11-of-26) from three-point range.
Pittsburgh’s win over Northwestern on Thursday night clinched another ACC win over the Big Ten in the challenge at 8-6. The ACC won this year’s contest to improve their record to 9-0-3 all time. Florida State’s streak of seven consecutive victories in the challenge is the most of any team in either conference.
“We’re really proud of that and we’re proud of the fact that since the challenge began, the ACC has never lost and that’s true again tonight,” Semrau said. “I’m excited aboutthat for the ACC and we’re happy we could do our part.”
NO NAME GS MIN FGM FGA 3FGM 3FGA FTM FTA PTS OREB DREB REB PF AST TO BLK STL
== ==================== == === === === ==== ==== === === === ==== ==== === == === == === ===
10 Kourtney Weber g 18 2 4 2 3 0 0 6 0 1 1 2 1 0 0 0
12 Nicki Ekhomu g 29 4 10 3 5 0 0 11 0 1 1 1 6 2 0 2
13 Nausia Woolfolk g 26 7 16 0 3 2 3 16 3 2 5 2 6 1 0 1
15 Kiah Gillespie f 29 12 15 3 5 0 1 27 1 4 5 2 1 4 0 1
32 Valencia Myers f 25 4 5 0 0 3 4 11 4 10 14 3 1 4 1 0
3 Sayawni Lassiter 21 3 9 3 8 0 0 9 1 0 1 0 3 0 0 1
4 Amaya Brown 13 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 2 0 1 1
24 Morgan Jones 14 1 4 0 1 1 2 3 0 3 3 1 0 0 0 2
31 Savannah Wilkinson 25 2 4 0 0 0 0 4 1 2 3 0 1 0 0 0
Team 2 1 3
=========================================================================
FSU 5 200 35 69 11 26 6 10 87 12 24 36 16 21 11 2 8
Opp 200 24 55 3 13 7 11 58 8 22 30 12 5 18 2 3
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penn State | |||||
| Florida State |
Ekhomu Comes Up Clutch in 57-56 Win at Mercer.
Junior guard Nicki Ekhomu comes through with 18 second-half points, including huge points down the
stretch, as the Seminoles escape Macon, Ga., with a win.
MACON, GA. – Junior guard Nicki Ekhomu came through when it mattered most, scoring 27 points to lead Florida State Women’s Basketball (8-1) to a 57-56 nail-biting win at Mercer (4-5) on Wednesday night at Hawkins Arena.
Ekhomu scored 18 second-half points, with big buckets down the stretch. A 3-point field goal by KeKe Calloway gave Mercer a 52-48 lead with 5:31 remaining, but Ekhomu started a 7-0 run of her own to give FSU a responding 55-52 advantage.
The Bears quickly struck back with two big baskets, taking a 56-55 lead with 2:15 remaining. But Ekhomu came back again, responding with another tough mid-range jumper to put FSU ahead by one with two minutes left.
After an over-and-back call on the Seminoles gave Mercer the ball at half court with three seconds left, Ekhomu drew a charge underneath to secure the win for the Seminoles.
FSU out-scored Mercer 31-22 in the second half, getting big stops when they needed it most. Redshirt junior Kiah Gillespie added her third double-double of the year with 14 points and 12 rebounds, and junior guard Nausia Woolfolk treated the hometown fans to 12 points.
Freshman Valencia Myers added eight rebounds for the Seminoles, grabbing every important rebound late in the fourth quarter.
Mercer senior guard Calloway led the Bears with 21 points.
For the third time this season, Florida State trailed at the half as it went into the locker room down 34-26. Ekhomu aided FSU late in the first half with a 7-0 run by herself to bring FSU’s deficit to 24-20.
With 1:54 remaining in the second quarter, Gillespie nailed a 3-pointer to creep the Seminoles to 30-26, but a couple scores by the Bears in the final 1:38 gave them the eight-point advantage. However, a 10-0 run in the third quarter led by Ekhomu brought FSU back into the game after trailing by as many as 12 in the second half.
NO NAME GS MIN FGM FGA 3FGM 3FGA FTM FTA PTS OREB DREB REB PF AST TO BLK STL
== ==================== == === === === ==== ==== === === === ==== ==== === == === == === ===
10 Kourtney Weber g 14 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 2 1 1 0 1 0
12 Nicki Ekhomu g 38 11 18 2 4 3 4 27 1 4 5 3 2 3 0 2
13 Nausia Woolfolk g 33 5 13 2 3 0 0 12 1 2 3 3 4 5 0 4
15 Kiah Gillespie f 34 6 14 2 4 0 0 14 3 9 12 0 0 2 1 0
32 Valencia Myers f 25 1 3 0 0 0 0 2 1 7 8 2 0 1 2 2
3 Sayawni Lassiter 6 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 2 1 1 2 0 0
4 Amaya Brown 19 1 2 0 1 0 2 2 0 1 1 2 1 1 0 0
24 Morgan Jones 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0
31 Savannah Wilkinson 23 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 0 0
Team 2 1 3
=========================================================================
FSU 5 200 24 56 6 16 3 6 57 9 28 37 15 12 16 4 8
Opp 200 24 61 5 14 3 4 56 9 25 34 10 18 13 3 7
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida State | |||||
| Mercer |
Seminoles Hold Off Red Storm.
Kiah Gillespie’s 22 points helped Florida State Women’s Basketball hold off a surge from St. John’s in a 57-53 win
on Sunday.
QUEENS, N.Y. – Redshirt junior forward Kiah Gillespie delivered once again, scoring 22 points as Florida State Women’s Basketball (9-1) held off a late surge from the St. John’s Red Storm (6-3) in a 57-53 win at Carnesecca Arena.
The Seminoles used a crucial 11-0 run to extend their advantage to 48-34 with 6:20 left, a run where Gillespie contributed six points. It was Gillespie’s fourth game this season with 20+ points. Entering the game, St. John’s had posted a 110-33 home record since the start of the 2009-10 season.
A late run by the Red Storm brought them to within 56-53 with 16 seconds left following a 3-pointer by Alisha Kebbe. But FSU was able to execute several in-bound plays and put away the win with a Valencia Myers free throw with 12 seconds left.
FSU recorded a season-high 11 blocked shots, its third-most in program history and the most recorded since totaling 11 at Minnesota on Nov. 30, 2016. Myers tied a season high with five blocks while freshman Morgan Jones added two. Jones contributed nicely on the afternoon with six points, four rebounds and two blocks in 20 minutes.
Junior Nicki Ekhomu added 12 points for Florida State, which turned the ball over just 10 times. FSU held St. John’s to just 31.1 percent from the floor and out-scored it off the bench 11-2.
The end of the third quarter looked to be a key momentum turner for FSU. Gillespie drilled two three-point field goals in the final 1:36 of the quarter to help FSU to a 37-32 lead going into the final period.
The first half was a possession by possession battle, with both teams reigning supreme on the defensive end. The Seminoles took a 19-17 lead into the locker room, the lowest points they’ve allowed at the half this season. A mid-range jumper by Ekhomu early in the offensive set broke the tie at halftime with 20 seconds remaining.
St. John’s shot just 17.9 percent from the floor in the first half, going 5-of-28 as FSU showcased excellent rotation on defense. FSU struggled as well but fared better, shooting 32.1 percent (9-of-28) as Gillespie led the way with six points.
For FSU, it was the lowest it held an opponent from a shooting percentage standpoint in the first half since allowing just 17.4 percent to Western Carolina on Dec. 4, 2016.
NO NAME GS MIN FGM FGA 3FGM 3FGA FTM FTA PTS OREB DREB REB PF AST TO BLK STL
== ==================== == === === === ==== ==== === === === ==== ==== === == === == === ===
4 Amaya Brown g 15 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 1 0 0 1
12 Nicki Ekhomu g 35 3 15 1 5 5 10 12 1 3 4 3 4 2 1 4
13 Nausia Woolfolk g 19 4 8 0 1 1 2 9 1 2 3 2 1 0 0 1
15 Kiah Gillespie f 33 8 12 2 5 4 4 22 4 3 7 0 0 1 1 1
32 Valencia Myers f 28 1 9 0 0 1 2 3 0 7 7 1 1 1 5 2
3 Sayawni Lassiter 10 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 2 3 0 1
10 Kourtney Weber 21 2 5 1 2 0 0 5 0 1 1 2 0 0 1 0
24 Morgan Jones 20 2 5 0 0 2 2 6 1 3 4 2 0 1 2 0
31 Savannah Wilkinson 19 0 4 0 2 0 0 0 2 3 5 3 0 2 1 0
Team 3 3 6
=========================================================================
FSU 5 200 20 60 4 15 13 20 57 12 27 39 17 9 10 11 10
Opp 200 19 61 4 15 11 17 53 17 30 47 20 9 16 6 2
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida State | |||||
| Saint John's |
Ekhomu Leaves Jays Feeling Blue.
Junior guard Nicki Ekhomu steals the show again, putting up 24 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three
steals in a 71-52 win over Creighton on Sunday.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Through three quarters, Nicki Ekhomu kept Florida State Women’s Basketball in the game. With a lift from her teammates in the fourth, the Seminoles (10-1) were able to pull away from Creighton (4-5) on Sunday afternoon in a 71-52 win at the Donald L. Tucker Center.
Ekhomu and the Seminoles used a game-ending 18-2 run to put Sunday’s contest on ice, turning a slim 53-50 lead with eight minutes left into a 19-point rout. Ekhomu showed some extra aggression all afternoon, recording her third 20+ point game of the season with 24 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three steals.
The Bolingbrook, Ill., native also went 8-of-8 from the line. She was the one player Creighton could not stay in front of.
“Honestly, I’m just playing and trying to do as much for the team, and if I see an opening to the basket and I need to be more aggressive, I will,” Ekhomu said. “But if I see the defense attacking, then I got to find an open teammate and make sure I do the best I can every game.”
Ekhomu knows when she needs to take over, scoring 31 points in the season opener vs. Troy and adding 27 clutch points in a win over Mercer on Dec. 5. But collectively, it was also FSU’s defense that allowed just three Creighton 3-point field goal makes when the Bluejays entered the game averaging 10.9 long-range field goals.
“That was a great win for our basketball team, FSU head coach Sue Semrau said. “It’s really hard during finals to have great practices and this team was locked in. And they were rewarded for it. We had a game plan and we stuck to it and to hold Creighton to three 3-pointers was unreal. I am extremely proud of our defensive effort.”
FSU out-scored Creighton 18-6 in the final quarter, and used a big 6-0 run by junior Nausia Woolfolk to extend the lead midway through the period. Redshirt junior forward Kiah Gillespie had her fourth double-double of the season with 13 points and 11 rebounds while adding two blocks. Woolfolk had 12 points, including a flurry down the stretch.
The Seminoles went 16-of-18 from the free throw line, and out-rebounded the Bluejays 36-24. Freshman center Valencia Myers helped FSU underneath with 11 points and five rebounds, while sophomore Savannah Wilkinson added four points and six boards.
Creighton’s Jaylyn Agnew led the Bluejays with 19 points (7-of-14) and eight rebounds in the loss.
NO NAME GS MIN FGM FGA 3FGM 3FGA FTM FTA PTS OREB DREB REB PF AST TO BLK STL
== ==================== == === === === ==== ==== === === === ==== ==== === == === == === ===
10 Kourtney Weber g 24 1 3 1 2 0 0 3 1 0 1 3 1 0 0 0
12 Nicki Ekhomu g 37 7 15 2 5 8 8 24 4 4 8 2 3 2 0 3
13 Nausia Woolfolk g 30 3 13 1 3 5 6 12 0 1 1 1 1 3 0 0
15 Kiah Gillespie f 32 6 12 1 4 0 0 13 2 9 11 3 2 1 2 1
32 Valencia Myers f 21 4 8 0 0 3 4 11 4 1 5 3 1 3 0 2
3 Sayawni Lassiter 9 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
4 Amaya Brown 12 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0
24 Morgan Jones 9 2 3 0 0 0 0 4 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 1
31 Savannah Wilkinson 26 2 2 0 0 0 0 4 2 4 6 2 1 1 1 1
Team 2 2
=========================================================================
FSU 5 200 25 59 5 15 16 18 71 15 21 36 17 10 11 3 8
Opp 200 21 45 3 13 7 11 52 5 19 24 14 13 19 5 4
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Creighton | |||||
| Florida State |
Seminoles Down Milwaukee in Record-Breaking Night.
Florida State Women’s Basketball totals a program-record 15 3-point field goals in an 87-62 win
over Milwaukee on Thursday night.
MILWAUKEE, Wis. – The Florida State Women’s Basketball team drilled a school-record 15 3-point field goals en route to an 87-62 victory over a pesky Milwaukee team on Thursday night at the Klotsche Center in Milwaukee, Wis.
The Seminoles (11-1) broke their previous school record of 12 3-pointers on their last shot of the third quarter, when redshirt junior forward Kiah Gillespie’s 3-ball from straightaway gave FSU 13 on the night. It added two more from deep in the fourth quarter.
With the Panthers (5-6) clogging up much of the paint, they dared FSU to beat them from long range. The Seminoles responded with a scintillating 60 percent shooting night from outside, going 15-of-25.
Once again, junior guard Nicki Ekhomu was the catalyst. The all-conference worthy point guard recorded her third 20-point game in her last four games played, finishing with 26 on 8-of-14 shooting along with six assists.
Gillespie added 20 for FSU, which included 17 in a hot-shooting second half. Her performance in the final 20 minutes summed up FSU’s second-half dominance, where it out-scored the Panthers 52-27 and shot 53.3 percent.
Freshman Kourtney Weber had the game of her career, going 5-of-5 from the floor and 4-of-4 from deep for 16 points along with two assists and two blocks. She paced FSU early with a couple of 3-point field goals in the first quarter. Weber’s previous career high was nine points.
The Seminole defense forced 16 turnovers by the smooth-shooting Panthers, getting 18 points off those turnovers. After being out-rebounded 22-9 in the first half, the Seminoles wound up out-rebounding Milwaukee 32-29 overall.
Entering the game, FSU was out-scoring opponents 19.1-13.6 in the fourth quarter. It ended Thursday’s matchup winning the fourth-quarter battle 25-10.
FSU heads home for the holidays on a high note once again, winning six of its last seven games since 2012 when going into the Christmas break.
A see-saw second quarter saw a 9-0 run by the Panthers and a 10-0 run by the Seminoles. The result was a 35-35 score at halftime, as Milwaukee shot 54 percent in the first half while FSU drilled eight 3-point field goals. Ekhomu led the Seminoles with 13 at the intermission, but the Panthers had allowed minimal scoring chances in the paint.
In the first quarter, Milwaukee took a 20-19 advantage. Both teams combined for nine 3-point field goals, and the Panthers went on a 4-for-4 flurry to end the period. Weber and Ekhomu got off to hot starts for the Seminoles, each adding eight in the opening frame.
NO NAME GS MIN FGM FGA 3FGM 3FGA FTM FTA PTS OREB DREB REB PF AST TO BLK STL
== ==================== == === === === ==== ==== === === === ==== ==== === == === == === ===
10 Kourtney Weber g 32 5 5 4 4 2 2 16 0 1 1 2 2 1 2 0
12 Nicki Ekhomu g 36 8 14 3 5 7 8 26 1 2 3 1 6 2 0 4
13 Nausia Woolfolk g 35 3 13 3 5 0 0 9 1 1 2 2 3 0 0 0
15 Kiah Gillespie f 34 8 17 4 9 0 0 20 5 4 9 3 3 1 0 2
32 Valencia Myers f 24 2 7 0 1 1 3 5 0 3 3 3 0 2 1 1
3 Sayawni Lassiter 3 1 2 1 1 2 2 5 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 0
4 Amaya Brown 10 1 2 0 0 3 3 5 1 2 3 1 4 1 1 0
24 Morgan Jones 5 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 1 1 0
31 Savannah Wilkinson 21 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 4 1 0 1 0 0
Team 2 4 6
=========================================================================
FSU 5 200 28 60 15 25 16 19 87 12 20 32 16 18 10 5 7
Opp 200 23 49 8 18 8 15 62 9 20 29 21 17 16 5 3
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida State | |||||
| Wisconsin-Milwaukee |
Kiah Catches Fire in Win over Georgia State.
Redshirt junior Kiah Gillespie leads the Seminoles in points (25), rebounds (12) and assists (4) in
79-43 win over the Panthers.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – It was Kiah Gillespie’s show on Saturday afternoon at the Donald L. Tucker Center. The redshirt junior forward posted team highs with 25 points, 12 rebounds and four assists as No. 25 Florida State Women’s Hoops defeated Georgia State 79-43.
Saturday’s final non-conference game of the regular season was the Seminoles’ (12-1) first this season as a ranked team. It was Gillespie who was out to prove why FSU should maintain its spot in the Top 25. However, through three quarters the game did not come easy.
“We have made a lot of progress, but we still have a way to go,” Gillespie said post-game. “I think right now we are a second half team and I think once we get past that, we are going to be a really great team. I think we have grown in communication and our ability to play together as a team. I think we are starting to jell right now and that’s the best part about it.”
FSU needed an impressive 32-5 scoring onslaught in the fourth quarter to fully put Saturday’s game out of reach. Gillespie added her 12th double-figure game of the year, her fifth double-double and her sixth 20-point game of the season.
FSU was not able to duplicate its last outing where it made a program-record 15 3-point field goals. Beyond the arc was its weakness against the Panthers (6-5), going 3-of-21 from deep. But its 16-of-17 shooting from the free throw line, getting 16 second-chance points and out-rebounding Georgia State 46-28 ensured that the Seminoles could win in other ways.
“We expected coming off a seven-day layoff that we would have some rust, and I didn’t know if I needed to go into half tearing into them or just telling them it’s going to be okay,” FSU head coach Sue Semrau said after leading 28-26 at the half.
“I did a little bit of both and I think they responded really well. We played defense in the second half and that was the difference. They only scored 26 points in the first half, but for us we were being lazy because we were concerned with what was happening on the offensive end.”
FSU shot 47.6 percent from the floor, including a blistering 84.6 percent (11-of-13) in the fourth quarter. Junior guard Nausia Woolfolk added 14 points, FSU’s other double-figure scorer, and also had four steals.
Sophomore Savannah Wilkinson pulled down a career-high nine rebounds in 25 strong minutes of play. FSU’s team rebounding satisfied Semrau, who understands the importance of every possession with conference play coming up.
“Defense is how you win in the ACC and especially on the road,” Semrau added. “You have to defend and challenge them for rebounds and we did just that. We had 46 rebounds and were able to outrebound them by 20, and that is key in what we are about to go into with the start of ACC play.”
FSU’s win extends its win streak to eight games, and it enters ACC play with just one non-conference loss for the sixth time in the last seven seasons.
NO NAME GS MIN FGM FGA 3FGM 3FGA FTM FTA PTS OREB DREB REB PF AST TO BLK STL
== ==================== == === === === ==== ==== === === === ==== ==== === == === == === ===
10 Kourtney Weber g 24 2 4 0 2 2 2 6 1 3 4 1 3 3 0 0
12 Nicki Ekhomu g 19 2 5 1 3 4 4 9 1 2 3 2 2 2 0 1
13 Nausia Woolfolk g 31 5 14 0 6 4 4 14 0 2 2 3 1 2 1 4
15 Kiah Gillespie f 31 11 18 1 5 2 2 25 3 9 12 1 4 1 1 2
32 Valencia Myers f 24 2 7 0 0 2 2 6 2 4 6 2 0 1 1 0
3 Sayawni Lassiter 18 2 6 1 5 2 3 7 1 2 3 0 3 0 0 2
4 Amaya Brown 12 2 2 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 2 2 2 0 2
24 Morgan Jones 16 3 5 0 0 0 0 6 1 2 3 1 0 1 0 0
31 Savannah Wilkinson 25 1 2 0 0 0 0 2 2 7 9 3 3 0 0 0
Team 3 1 4
=========================================================================
FSU 5 200 30 63 3 21 16 17 79 14 32 46 15 18 12 3 11
Opp 200 17 56 5 23 4 7 43 9 19 28 15 7 19 1 3
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia State | |||||
| Florida State |
Clutch Plays Give No. 23 Noles 63-61 Win at Virginia.
The Seminoles battle back from a fourth-quarter deficit to get a huge conference-opening
victory at Virginia.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – John Paul Jones Arena has not been the easiest place for Florida State lately. Yet with one of the youngest and most inexperienced groups in the country, No. 23 Seminole Women’s Hoops rose up with a 63-61 win over Virginia on Thursday night in its ACC opener.
The Seminoles (13-1, 1-0) used an enormous 3-point field goal by freshman Kourtney Weber with 1:41 left to take a 61-59 lead, a lead that they would not give up. Despite UVA tying the game at 61-61 on a jumper from Dominique Toussaint, FSU re-gained the lead on a beautiful touch pass from Nicki Ekhomu to Valencia Myers down low, taking a 63-61 lead with 47 seconds left.
The game-sealing play came when Ekhomu stole the ball off UVA’s in-bounds pass with four seconds remaining.
Redshirt junior forward Kiah Gillespie led FSU with 19 points and 11 rebounds, her sixth double-double of the season. Gillespie’s hustle play led to a saved ball that landed in Ekhomu’s direction, which created Myers’ game-winning layup.
Weber stepped up big time for FSU, delivering three crucial 3-point field goals including the big one with 1:41 remaining. Junior guard Nausia Woolfolk turned it on in the second half and finished with 13 points, five assists and two steals.
Sophomore Savannah Wilkinson also gave FSU significant minutes off the bench, playing solid defense and finishing with seven rebounds and six points.
A back-and-forth third quarter saw Virginia get a fast-break layup as time expired to end the period with a 49-43 lead. Woolfolk went into attack mode for the Seminoles, scoring nine in the quarter. But the Cavaliers out-scored FSU 24-17 in the third, as Brianna Tinsley had 18 heading into the final quarter and made a number of plays for the Hoos (6-8, 0-1).
FSU went into halftime clinging to just a one-point lead at 26-25. The Cavaliers out-scored the Seminoles 15-10 in the second quarter, with Tinsley leading the way with 11 points. The Seminoles did get easier buckets in the second, out-scoring UVA 9-0 on fast-break points as it tried to capitalize in transition.
The Seminoles used a late 8-2 run in the first quarter to take a 16-10 lead at the end of the quarter. Gillespie led the way with six points in the opening frame, and FSU held UVA to just 4-of-18 from the floor. Woolfolk ignited the late run with a couple baskets inside the final minutes, including a floater down the lane with 10 seconds remaining.
NO NAME GS MIN FGM FGA 3FGM 3FGA FTM FTA PTS OREB DREB REB PF AST TO BLK STL
== ==================== == === === === ==== ==== === === === ==== ==== === == === == === ===
10 Kourtney Weber g 30 5 9 3 6 0 0 13 2 3 5 1 1 1 0 1
12 Nicki Ekhomu g 34 1 8 1 4 3 4 6 1 1 2 3 5 2 2 2
13 Nausia Woolfolk g 36 6 17 1 5 0 0 13 3 2 5 2 5 2 0 2
15 Kiah Gillespie f 38 8 16 1 4 2 2 19 3 8 11 1 3 4 0 0
32 Valencia Myers f 19 2 5 0 1 1 2 5 2 2 4 3 0 2 1 1
3 Sayawni Lassiter 5 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0
4 Amaya Brown 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0
24 Morgan Jones 8 0 1 0 0 1 2 1 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0
31 Savannah Wilkinson 23 3 4 0 1 0 0 6 1 6 7 0 1 2 1 1
Team 2 2 4 1
=========================================================================
FSU 5 200 25 61 6 21 7 10 63 17 25 42 11 16 15 4 7
Opp 200 24 62 6 17 7 9 61 14 18 32 8 12 12 2 7
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida State | |||||
| Virginia |
Junior Guards Lead Seminoles to Nail-Biting Win at North Carolina.
Nausia Woolfolk (20 points) and Nicki Ekhomu (16 points, 7 assists) make key
plays down the stretch to give No. 23 Florida State a 64-63 road win.
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – When the game gets tight, experience is always key.
Junior guards Nausia Woolfolk (20 points) and Nicki Ekhomu (16 points, 7 assists) made big plays in the fourth quarter to help No. 23 Florida State Women’s Basketball leave Carmichael Arena with a 64-63 win against North Carolina on Sunday afternoon.
“I think it starts with our three juniors – our captains,” FSU head coach Sue Semrau said of her team’s fourth-quarter toughness. “All three of them are as tough as nails. They are creating a culture of toughness that our freshmen are so willing to step on board. It’s all the little things. We talk about doing your job, and they’re willing to do that.”
The Seminoles (14-1, 2-0) got down by as many as six points in the final frame, but Ekhomu’s refusal to settle for jumpers in the waning minutes created much-needed scoring chances for FSU. The Bolingbrook, Ill., native scored six straight points at the free throw line down the stretch by drawing fouls on aggressive drives to the basket, creating a 63-60 lead with 15 seconds left.
Following a miss by UNC on a 3-ball that rimmed in and out, Woolfolk grabbed the board and got fouled. She made 1 of 2 from the line with seven seconds remaining, but that make was important as UNC’s Shayla Bennett launched a deep 3-point field goal with 1.9 seconds left to trim the Tar Heels’ (9-7, 0-2) deficit to 64-63.
FSU, which saved its last timeout to advance the ball to the front court, ran a precise sideline play and Kiah Gillespie received the pass and ran out the clock.
Gillespie added 14 points and nine rebounds while playing 39 minutes for FSU. Sophomore Savannah Wilkinson was valuable once again with seven rebounds off the bench, and freshman guard Amaya Brown added four points, three rebounds and two steals while playing solid perimeter defense.
With the win, FSU wins their first two ACC road games for the ninth time in program history. The Seminoles extend their win streak against the Tar Heels to a program-record four straight games, and add to their current overall win streak at 10 straight.
It was also FSU’s second straight one-possession win on the road after defeating Virginia, 63-61, on Thursday. In FSU’s five true road games this year, four have been decided by four points or fewer, with the Seminoles winning every game.
The Seminoles had a tough time scoring in the third quarter, unable to get quality looks through most of the period as UNC out-scored FSU 16-7. The Tar Heels took the lead at 45-44 on a pair of free throws, but Gillespie responded with a needed 3-point field goal with 1:28 remaining to re-gain the lead.
FSU had another strong close to the second quarter, going 5-of-5 down the stretch to take a 40-31 lead into halftime. Woolfolk knifed down the line for a driving layup with six seconds left to punctuate another good quarter, and she went into the locker room leading all scorers with 12 points. Ekhomu also picked up the scoring slack, adding 10 at the intermission. The nine-point lead was FSU’s largest of the half.
The Seminoles finished the first quarter going 4 of its last 4 from the floor, as Woolfolk led FSU with eight points to help take a 20-14 lead. FSU shot 47.1 percent from the floor in the opening period, using a 9-0 run late to build the six-point lead. Ekhomu added five points in the first quarter, while Stephanie Watts led the Tar Heels with eight.
UNC guard Paris Kea led the Tar Heels with 17 points, but fouled out with 49 seconds left when Ekhomu drew a charge on her as FSU led 61-58 – a critical play in the game.
NO NAME GS MIN FGM FGA 3FGM 3FGA FTM FTA PTS OREB DREB REB PF AST TO BLK STL
== ==================== == === === === ==== ==== === === === ==== ==== === == === == === ===
10 Kourtney Weber g 23 1 4 1 2 0 0 3 0 2 2 1 1 1 1 1
12 Nicki Ekhomu g 39 3 12 1 5 9 11 16 1 0 1 1 7 2 0 4
13 Nausia Woolfolk g 34 8 15 2 6 2 4 20 0 6 6 4 3 4 0 1
15 Kiah Gillespie f 39 6 15 2 5 0 0 14 1 8 9 0 1 3 1 1
32 Valencia Myers f 11 1 3 0 0 1 1 3 2 2 4 4 0 1 0 0
4 Amaya Brown 21 1 2 0 0 2 2 4 1 2 3 2 1 2 0 2
24 Morgan Jones 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
31 Savannah Wilkinson 30 2 4 0 0 0 1 4 4 3 7 2 1 1 0 0
Team 2 2 4
=========================================================================
FSU 5 200 22 55 6 18 14 19 64 11 25 36 14 14 14 2 9
Opp 200 25 63 5 23 8 11 63 15 23 38 18 13 13 3 6
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida State | |||||
| North Carolina |
Win Streaks Snapped in Loss to Clemson.
No. 22/18 Florida State Women’s Hoops falls to the Tigers, 57-45, on Sunday afternoon to end an 18-game
win streak over Clemson and its own 10-game win streak.
TALAHASSEE, Fla. – All good things must come to an end. On Sunday, a couple of notable streaks were snapped as No. 22/18 Florida State Women’s Basketball fell to Clemson, 57-45, in its ACC home opener at the Donald L. Tucker Center.
The Seminoles (14-2, 2-1) entered the game with an 18-game win streak over the Tigers (12-5, 3-1) that had stemmed from 2009. They also carried a 10-game win streak after escaping with two narrow victories last week at conference opponents Virginia and North Carolina.
However, FSU found no such luck on Sunday. A suffocating defense by the Tigers that included plenty of full-court trapping and an aggressive zone resulted in FSU losing its first conference game of the season. Despite the efforts of redshirt junior Kiah Gillespie, who posted her seventh double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds, the Seminoles walked away with a 12-point defeat.
“I thought Clemson played good,” FSU head coach Sue Semrau said. “They were so active and forcing us into those type of turnovers, it’s not something we’ve seen. Just a credit to them, they did a fantastic job. It was good for our young team. Instead of coming together, we splintered and we need to learn that when it gets tough we need to come together.”
Clemson held FSU to season lows in points scored, field goals made (17) and shooting percentage (26.6 percent). While the Tigers did not fare much better offensively, they got big production from junior forward Kobi Thornton – who scored 19 points and added 10 rebounds.
In the fourth quarter, a jumper by junior Nicki Ekhomu got the Seminoles to just a one-point deficit trailing 46-45 with 4:35 remaining. But Clemson responded with a layup by Thornton to extend its lead to three points with 3:26 left.
The game then took a turn when FSU was called for an unsportsmanlike foul with 3:02 remaining off an offensive rebound, as Westbrook hit one of two free throws to give Clemson a 49-45 lead.
From there, Clemson scored on each of its next four possessions while FSU was unable to convert on its end.
Ekhomu added 16 points for the Seminoles and corralled six rebounds. Freshman center Valencia Myers scored nine points and added six rebounds and two blocked shots.
Despite the loss, FSU’s ACC-leading scoring defense did its job once again – forcing 18 turnovers by Clemson and out-rebounding the Tigers 46-37. While Clemson was able to force a season-high 23 turnovers by FSU, the Seminoles also did not capitalize on chances underneath – converting just nine of 27 layups.
“Yeah, losing all the time is always disappointing, but I think this was a good loss for us,” Gillespie said post-game. “We haven’t lost since LSU and I think Clemson is one of the better teams we have played this season. They are definitely not the same Clemson that most people run through the past couple years.
“They are trying to be strong in the ACC and I can see it. It’s something where we need to learn how to play through, these last two games we squeaked out but we have to come out with fire and we have to come together. That’s something we didn’t do this game and we paid for it.”
NO NAME GS MIN FGM FGA 3FGM 3FGA FTM FTA PTS OREB DREB REB PF AST TO BLK STL
== ==================== == === === === ==== ==== === === === ==== ==== === == === == === ===
10 Kourtney Weber g 27 1 6 0 5 0 0 2 0 3 3 0 1 5 0 0
12 Nicki Ekhomu g 36 6 16 1 4 3 5 16 5 1 6 2 1 1 0 1
13 Nausia Woolfolk g 32 1 10 0 4 0 0 2 1 5 6 3 2 5 0 2
15 Kiah Gillespie f 36 5 17 3 8 3 5 16 1 13 14 3 0 4 1 0
32 Valencia Myers f 23 4 9 0 0 1 2 9 5 1 6 5 0 4 2 1
3 Sayawni Lassiter 8 0 4 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 2
4 Amaya Brown 13 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 4 1 2 1 0 1
24 Morgan Jones 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
31 Savannah Wilkinson 21 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 3 2 3 1 0
Team 4 1 5
=========================================================================
FSU 5 200 17 64 4 24 7 12 45 19 27 46 19 8 23 4 7
Opp 200 22 54 1 4 12 18 57 7 30 37 17 11 18 5 11
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clemson | |||||
| Florida State |
Gillespie Leads Noles to Third ACC Road Win.
No. 21 Florida State Women's Basketball bounces back with 91-71 win at Boston College.
by Hannah Drosdick
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Florida State (15-2, 3-1) won their third-consecutive ACC road contest in a 91-71 victory over Boston College (13-5, 2-3) on Thursday at Conte Forum. In a game that served as a homecoming for redshirt junior forward Kiah Gillespie, she managed to put on a show.
Gillespie, who grew up an hour and a half from Chestnut Hill in Meriden, Conn., led the Seminoles with 23 points and eight rebounds. It was Gillespie’s seventh 20-point effort of the season and her third highest point total of the year. She was one of five Seminoles to score in double figures on the evening.
Junior guard Nicki Ekhomu posted 16 points for the third-consecutive game and shared the team lead in assists with four with fellow junior guard Nausia Woolfolk, who added 12 points of her own.
“The last couple days we really worked hard on the things that we saw as issues in our last game,” Florida State Head Coach Sue Semrau said. “You could see from start to finish, they were locked in, they were focused. They did a great job of scoring the ball. Our defense wasn’t the best, but we scored the ball really well and that’s important if you want to win games.”
Two of the Seminole freshmen rounded out the double-figure scorers of the evening. Forward Valencia Myers scored 14 points on the night, marking her first double-digit performance in ACC play. Following suit was guard Morgan Jones, who registered a career-high 11 points and her first double-figure performance for the garnet and gold.
Redshirt freshman Sayawni Lassiter scored seven points on the evening in a game that served as a trip home for her as well, tying her second highest total of the season. The Dorchester, Mass. native added three assists to her contributions, trailing only Ekhomu and Woolfolk on the night.
Florida State registered its best shooting performance in conference play from the field, shooting 54.5% (30-of-55). The freshmen class contributed 33 of the Seminoles’ 91 points in the win.
“They’re doing everything we ask them to do and they’re growing as a result,” Semrau had to say of her freshmen class. “They’re getting more comfortable. The players that have been here are getting more comfortable with them and it’s just fun to see that result.”
The Seminoles outscored Boston College 47-31 in the first half, shooting 60% (18-of-30) from the floor. This was the highest point total for Florida State in the first half in conference play and its third highest of the season. The Seminoles maintained their double-digit lead throughout the entirety of the second half to win their tenth straight contest over the Eagles.
NO NAME GS MIN FGM FGA 3FGM 3FGA FTM FTA PTS OREB DREB REB PF AST TO BLK STL
== ==================== == === === === ==== ==== === === === ==== ==== === == === == === ===
10 Kourtney Weber g 18 2 4 0 2 0 0 4 0 2 2 1 1 1 1 1
12 Nicki Ekhomu g 28 4 4 0 0 8 9 16 1 1 2 2 4 1 2 1
13 Nausia Woolfolk g 29 5 10 0 3 2 2 12 1 4 5 1 4 3 0 2
15 Kiah Gillespie f 30 8 16 2 4 5 8 23 3 5 8 5 0 1 0 1
32 Valencia Myers f 21 5 9 0 0 4 4 14 0 3 3 5 1 4 0 0
3 Sayawni Lassiter 16 2 5 1 2 2 4 7 0 0 0 2 3 0 0 0
4 Amaya Brown 16 0 1 0 0 4 6 4 3 0 3 3 1 1 2 0
24 Morgan Jones 16 4 4 0 0 3 6 11 0 3 3 2 0 1 1 2
31 Savannah Wilkinson 26 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 2 3 2 0 1 0 1
Team 2 2 4
=========================================================================
FSU 5 200 30 55 3 12 28 39 91 11 22 33 23 14 13 6 8
Opp 200 26 63 4 19 15 18 71 15 19 34 27 12 19 0 5
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida State | |||||
| Boston College |
21st-Ranked Seminoles Hold on for Fourth Conference Win.
Florida State earns first home ACC win with 66-62 victory over Duke.
By Hannah Drosdick
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida State (16-2, 4-1) earned their fourth conference victory on Sunday in a 66-62 win over the Duke Blue Devils (8-9, 0-5) at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center. The Seminole defense was the story of the day, allowing only three Blue Devils to find their way onto the score sheet.
“I just want to credit Duke for the way they fought back in the second half and really put us into a situation that tested us,” Florida State Head Coach Sue Semrau said. “We didn’t have our best shooting today, but we found a way to really rebound the ball. I’m just really proud of my team for coming together to get that win.”
Redshirt junior forward Kiah Gillespie led the Seminoles across the board with 17 points, nine rebounds and four assists. It was Gillespie’s 17th double figure performance of the season. Junior guard Nicki Ekhomu registered 14 points along with six rebounds on the afternoon. The two combined to score 25 of the Seminoles’ 41 first half points.
The Seminole freshmen continued to show their progression on Sunday afternoon. Freshman forward Valencia Myers followed suit with 13 points and six rebounds of her own, along with Florida State’s only block of the day. It was Myers’s second-consecutive double-digit outing and the tenth of her freshman campaign.
Freshmen guards Morgan Jones and Amaya Brown both contributed greatly to the Seminoles’ first ACC home win. Jones, coming off a career-high 11-point performance at Boston College on Thursday, registered eight points and three rebounds, marking her second-highest point total of the season.
Brown added five points along with two assists, including two clutch free throws with seven seconds remaining in the game to help secure the Seminole victory.
“A lot of players got a lot of big minutes and a lot of key moments, like Amaya [Brown] making those last two free throws,” Myers said. “Huge rebounds, everything, we’re just coming together.”
Junior guard Nausia Woolfolk and sophomore guard Savannah Wilkinson rounded out the scoring for the Seminoles on the afternoon with Woolfolk registering five points and four rebounds and Wilkinson with four points and an assist.
After trailing by one at the end of the first, the Seminoles went on to outscore the Blue Devils 27-13 in the second quarter. Florida State maintained their lead for the remainder of the game, despite the visitors outscoring them 34-25 in the second half.
Following Sunday’s result, three of the Seminoles four conference victories have been decided by four points or less, helping to showcase the resilience of Semrau’s young group.
“It’s a young team, we’re growing and this was a big step forward for us today to get this first home win in the ACC,” Semrau said. “They didn’t back down, not one bit.”
NO NAME GS MIN FGM FGA 3FGM 3FGA FTM FTA PTS OREB DREB REB PF AST TO BLK STL
== ==================== == === === === ==== ==== === === === ==== ==== === == === == === ===
4 Amaya Brown g 22 1 3 0 0 3 4 5 1 0 1 3 2 0 0 1
12 Nicki Ekhomu g 37 4 11 0 5 6 6 14 4 2 6 2 1 0 0 0
13 Nausia Woolfolk g 28 2 11 0 5 1 2 5 1 3 4 4 2 6 0 1
15 Kiah Gillespie f 36 7 16 1 7 2 4 17 3 6 9 0 4 1 0 0
32 Valencia Myers f 28 5 11 0 0 3 4 13 3 3 6 4 0 0 1 1
3 Sayawni Lassiter 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
10 Kourtney Weber 15 0 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 3 1 1 1 0 0
24 Morgan Jones 16 4 5 0 0 0 2 8 1 2 3 3 0 1 0 1
31 Savannah Wilkinson 17 2 2 0 0 0 0 4 1 0 1 1 2 2 0 0
Team 2 1 3
=========================================================================
FSU 5 200 25 62 1 18 15 22 66 16 20 36 19 12 11 1 4
Opp 200 24 50 2 7 12 15 62 6 21 27 18 12 19 3 4
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke | |||||
| Florida State |
Florida State Falls to No. 4 Louisville.
No. 22/19 Seminoles suffer second loss in conference play.
By Hannah Drosdick
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida State (16-3, 4-2) fell to fourth-ranked Louisville (18-1, 6-1) on Thursday 68-49 at the Donald L Tucker Civic Center. The loss snapped the Seminoles’ two-game win streak over the Cardinals dating back to 2017.
Despite the Seminole defense forcing 17 turnovers, the Cardinals were able to put up the second-highest point total against Florida State this season due in part to 29 points from All-American Asia Durr.
“Louisville is a great basketball team and Asia Durr is an All-American and we saw why tonight,” Florida State Head Coach Sue Semrau said. “We had our kids going out contesting the way they contested everybody all year and we needed to go out about that much further and credit to her, 29 is pretty impressive. We battled, we’re young, we knew that we’d need to use this opportunity to grow and I’m excited about that.”
Redshirt junior forward Kiah Gillespie lead the Seminoles with 13 points and six rebounds, followed by fellow junior Nicki Ekhomu with 11 points and four rebounds. The third of Florida State’s junior trio, Nausia Woolfolk, finished with eight points and led the Seminoles with four steals.
A 13-0 run by the Cardinals that spanned close to five minutes to end the first quarter put the Seminoles in a hole early that they simply could not get out of.
Florida State battled back to cut the deficit to nine at the half, but an 11-2 run by Louisville to open the third quarter all but sealed the victory for the visitors, as they maintained their double-digit lead for the remainder of the game.
The Cardinals shot 55.6% (25-of-45) and 45.5% (13-of-19) from beyond the arc compared to 32.1% (18-of-56) from the field by the Seminoles, their third worst shooting performance of the season. The previous two came in Florida State’s only two other losses to LSU and Clemson.
“I had a lot of freshmen in the entire game and I’m just excited about them,” Semrau said. “I continue to be encouraged with our growth. We don’t have to go out and beat the fourth-ranked team in the country this year. We need to go and take care of what we can take care of and we need to grow from this, and I know we will.”
Valencia Myers led the Seminole freshmen on the evening with nine points and three rebounds. Following suit was Morgan Jones with six points, shooting 3-of-3 from the field. Amaya Brown registered her third start for the garnet and gold, her second in as many games.
“As a team, although Asia Durr made lots of shots, I think we still pressured her,” Myers said. “We really tried our best on defense in boxing out and putting pressure on them. We stayed together, we didn’t fall apart, we fought hard.”
NO NAME GS MIN FGM FGA 3FGM 3FGA FTM FTA PTS OREB DREB REB PF AST TO BLK STL
== ==================== == === === === ==== ==== === === === ==== ==== === == === == === ===
4 Amaya Brown g 21 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 3 0 2 0 1
12 Nicki Ekhomu g 32 3 8 1 1 4 6 11 1 3 4 4 1 3 0 1
13 Nausia Woolfolk g 31 3 14 0 4 2 4 8 0 1 1 4 2 2 0 4
15 Kiah Gillespie f 34 5 14 1 7 2 3 13 1 5 6 1 1 0 0 1
32 Valencia Myers f 30 3 7 1 2 2 2 9 0 3 3 3 0 3 1 2
3 Sayawni Lassiter 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
10 Kourtney Weber 14 0 5 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 1
24 Morgan Jones 19 3 3 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
31 Savannah Wilkinson 16 1 2 0 0 0 0 2 3 0 3 1 1 1 0 0
Team 6 6
=========================================================================
FSU 5 200 18 56 3 18 10 15 49 12 13 25 19 6 11 1 10
Opp 200 25 45 5 11 13 19 68 8 29 37 13 11 17 7 4
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville | |||||
| Florida State |
Florida State Battles Back, Wins at Virginia Tech.
Seminoles maintain perfect road record with win in Blacksburg.
BLACKSBURG, Va. - Florida State (17-3, 5-2) maintained its perfect road record on Sunday with a gutsy 56-54 victory over Virginia Tech (13-8, 0-8) at Cassell Coliseum. The Seminoles’ were led by junior guard Nausia Woolfolk in her career-best performance.
Woolfolk led the Seminoles with a career-high 27 points, accounting for nearly half of Florida State’s offensive production. On the defensive side, the junior registered a career-high six steals.
On a day with apparent offensive struggles, the Seminole defense forced 23 turnovers, tying a season high dating back to Nov. 6 against Troy. The defense in turn helped created offense for Florida State, who registered 22 points off turnovers on the day to Virginia Tech’s six. FSU also had a season-high 12 steals.
The Hokies held a 28-21 lead at halftime, but the Seminoles battled back, opening the second half on an 11-4 run that pulled them even. Virginia Tech answered with an 11-0 run that looked to be the dagger for Florida State.
A 14-4 run that began with 4:33 remaining in the game changed the narrative, led by Woolfolk and fellow junior guard Nicki Ekhomu who combined to score 13 of the Seminoles’ final 14 points. Two free throws by Ekhomu pulled the Seminoles within one with 0:40 seconds remaining, which came after Virginia Tech was called for an unsportsmanlike foul.
Woolfolk followed suit, converting two foul shots of her own which gave the Seminoles their first lead of the afternoon with 0:22 remaining following a drive to the basket. One last effort by the Florida State defense helped to secure the comeback win for the Seminoles and maintain their perfect road record.
Ekhomu finished with 16 points on the day and added three steals on the defensive end. Sophomore guard Savannah Wilkinson led Florida State with nine rebounds, tying her career-high.
NO NAME GS MIN FGM FGA 3FGM 3FGA FTM FTA PTS OREB DREB REB PF AST TO BLK STL
== ==================== == === === === ==== ==== === === === ==== ==== === == === == === ===
10 Kourtney Weber g 10 0 3 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
12 Nicki Ekhomu g 38 6 21 1 8 3 4 16 3 0 3 4 2 2 0 3
13 Nausia Woolfolk g 36 10 19 1 6 6 8 27 1 1 2 2 0 1 0 6
15 Kiah Gillespie f 32 2 16 0 2 0 0 4 1 4 5 2 2 0 1 1
32 Valencia Myers f 16 2 4 0 1 1 1 5 1 2 3 4 0 0 1 0
4 Amaya Brown 23 0 1 0 0 2 2 2 2 2 4 2 0 2 0 0
24 Morgan Jones 16 1 2 0 0 0 1 2 0 4 4 3 0 0 1 1
31 Savannah Wilkinson 29 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 5 4 9 3 2 2 1 1
Team 2 1 3
=========================================================================
FSU 5 200 21 68 2 21 12 16 56 15 18 33 20 6 8 4 12
Opp 200 20 47 7 18 7 11 54 8 30 38 18 11 23 1 4
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida State | |||||
| Virginia Tech |
Gillespie Sparks Noles to Gritty Win over Miami.
Kiah Gillespie’s 18 second-half points highlight a 62-58 victory over the 23rd-ranked
Hurricanes.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – With just eight healthy bodies, No. 24/21 Florida State Women’s Basketball had to dig deep. And on the shoulders of redshirt junior Kiah Gillespie, the No. 24/21 Seminoles (18-3, 6-2) found a way as they pulled out a 62-58 win over 23rd-ranked Miami on Thursday night at the Donald L. Tucker Center.
Gillespie, who continues to be the only player in the ACC in the Top 5 in scoring and rebounding, registered her eighth 20-point game of the season. However, it was her 18 second-half points, when FSU needed them the most, that proved to be the spark in turning around a nine-point deficit and taking the lead for good.
“I’m just so proud of this team,” FSU head coach Sue Semrau said following the game. “That’s a really good Miami team. "I thought our defensive intensity stepped up in the second half and that was the difference in the game."
Florida State’s ball pressure, ball denial and all its other defensive execution allowed it to force 23 turnovers for the second straight game. The Seminoles turned those miscues into 19 points, a key area considering that scoring in the half court was no easy feat against a good Hurricanes (18-5, 6-2) defensive squad.
"I think it was our guards. It always starts with their ball pressure,” Gillespie said when discussing the keys to Thursday’s win. “It was hard for them to find their post players and I think we did it together as a great team."
FSU’s defense forced a Miami team that entered Thursday averaging 76.4 points to shoot just 36.7 percent (22-of-60) from the floor. The Hurricanes held a 19-10 lead with 7:44 to go in the first half, but FSU’s defense held strong over the remaining period as it trailed just 22-20 at the half.
That’s when Gillespie opted to take over in the game’s final 20 minutes. A 19-8 third quarter by the Seminoles was bolstered by an 11-0 run, giving FSU a nine-point lead heading into the fourth.
In the final frame, the Hurricanes stormed back to a 44-42 deficit with 6:52 remaining, but Gillespie had an 8-0 run of her own headlined by two enormous 3-point field goals to give FSU a 52-42 lead with 3:18 remaining.
The contributions of redshirt freshman Sayawni Lassiter could not be understated, as she scored a career-high 11 points and went 8-of-8 from the free throw line. Lassiter made several big free throws down the stretch, and her defensive pressure ignited a short-handed Seminoles squad that just lost top-notch perimeter defender Amaya Brown to a season-ending knee injury last week.
Lassiter’s performance at the charity stripe helped FSU go 12-of-13 from the free throw line.
With the win, FSU extended its win streak in games with a five-point margin or less to 13 straight dating back to last season. The Seminoles are 8-0 this season in games at five points or less.
Miami was led by Beatrice Mompremier’s double-double with 13 points and 14 rebounds. Mykea Gray led the team with 14 points and four 3-point field goals.
NO NAME GS MIN FGM FGA 3FGM 3FGA FTM FTA PTS OREB DREB REB PF AST TO BLK STL
== ==================== == === === === ==== ==== === === === ==== ==== === == === == === ===
10 Kourtney Weber g 18 0 3 0 2 0 0 0 1 2 3 0 1 1 0 0
12 Nicki Ekhomu g 36 4 9 0 2 0 0 8 0 1 1 1 4 2 0 1
13 Nausia Woolfolk g 34 4 13 0 3 1 2 9 1 3 4 0 2 4 0 2
15 Kiah Gillespie f 33 8 17 3 5 1 1 20 1 5 6 3 2 2 2 2
32 Valencia Myers f 23 3 11 0 1 2 2 8 2 3 5 4 2 2 3 1
3 Sayawni Lassiter 20 1 4 1 3 8 8 11 1 3 4 3 3 2 0 0
24 Morgan Jones 11 1 2 0 0 0 0 2 1 3 4 1 0 1 0 0
31 Savannah Wilkinson 25 2 5 0 0 0 0 4 3 1 4 1 0 0 0 0
Team 4 3 7
=========================================================================
FSU 5 200 23 64 4 16 12 13 62 14 24 38 13 14 14 5 6
Opp 200 22 60 9 25 5 6 58 14 28 42 15 10 23 3 5
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami | |||||
| Florida State |
Strong Offensive Display Lifts Seminoles Past Wake Forest.
No. 24/21 Florida State Women’s Basketball shoots a season-high 54.7 percent in an
85-61 win over the Demon Deacons.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The No. 24/21 Florida State Women’s Basketball put together one of its finest offensive performances of the season in a convincing 85-61 win over Wake Forest on Sunday at the Donald L. Tucker Center.
In the victory, the Seminoles (19-3, 7-2) set season highs in field goal percentage (54.7 percent), field goals made (35) and assists (21). Redshirt junior forward Kiah Gillespie collected her ninth 20-point game of the season, leading all scorers with 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting.
Providing an enormous spark off the bench was freshman guard Morgan Jones, who had a career performance. The Jonesboro, Ga., native had season highs in points (12) and rebounds (7) while going 5-of-8 from the floor in 22 minutes.
“She’s just understanding the system and being able to move,” FSU head coach Sue Semrau said of Jones. “She’s just so long, so fast. To be able to use that athleticism in our system has really helped her progression.”
For just the second time in ACC play, FSU had five players in double figures. Aside from Gillespie and Jones, Nicki Ekhomu (17), Nausia Woolfolk (14) and Valencia Myers (10) helped fill up the score sheet.
“That’s what I like,” Semrau said of the collective offensive showing. “I like to spread it around. They don’t care who gets the credit. The 21 assists are what I’m proud of, and the sharing of the ball. That was a big move forward for us.”
Florida State’s defense recorded its seventh consecutive effort of forcing 17 or more turnovers, this time turning the Demon Deacons (10-12, 1-8) over 18 times to the tune of 27 points off of Wake Forest’s miscues. FSU entered Sunday’s game having forced 23 turnovers in consecutive games against Miami and Virginia Tech.
From the get-go, the Seminoles started fast as they out-scored Wake Forest 24-12 in the opening quarter. It was FSU’s most points in the first quarter since scoring 28 at Boston College on Jan. 17.
FSU’s offense was the story throughout, taking a 44-25 halftime lead and closing the game by shooting 10-of-15 (66.7 percent) from the field in a 24-point fourth quarter. Redshirt freshman Sayawni Lassiter, who came off a career-high 11 points vs. Miami, added a career-best six assists in another strong performance on Sunday.
NO NAME GS MIN FGM FGA 3FGM 3FGA FTM FTA PTS OREB DREB REB PF AST TO BLK STL
== ==================== == === === === ==== ==== === === === ==== ==== === == === == === ===
10 Kourtney Weber g 25 1 4 0 2 0 0 2 1 1 2 2 0 0 0 1
12 Nicki Ekhomu g 30 7 9 2 3 1 1 17 1 1 2 2 6 4 0 3
13 Nausia Woolfolk g 28 6 14 1 3 1 1 14 1 4 5 1 2 0 0 0
15 Kiah Gillespie f 33 9 15 1 3 3 3 22 0 4 4 1 4 0 0 2
32 Valencia Myers f 24 3 6 0 1 4 5 10 3 3 6 4 1 5 1 2
3 Sayawni Lassiter 17 1 2 0 1 0 0 2 0 2 2 4 6 2 0 1
24 Morgan Jones 22 5 8 0 0 2 3 12 3 4 7 2 0 0 0 0
31 Savannah Wilkinson 21 3 6 0 1 0 0 6 2 2 4 3 2 2 0 1
Team 2 2
=========================================================================
FSU 5 200 35 64 4 14 11 13 85 11 23 34 19 21 13 1 10
Opp 200 24 46 2 8 11 20 61 4 18 22 16 13 18 2 4
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wake Forest | |||||
| Florida State |
Seminoles Upset Ninth-Ranked Wolfpack.
Florida State wins fourth in a row against No. 9 NC State.
By Hannah Drosdick
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The No. 24/19 Florida State Women’s Basketball team (20-3, 8-2) defeated the ninth-ranked NC State Wolfpack (21-2, 8-2) in a thrilling 75-70 victory at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center on Thursday, marking the program’s 16th AP Top-10 victory in its history.
In a hard-fought battle, the Seminoles were led by their two most seasoned veterans – Nicki Ekhomu and Nausia Woolfolk.
“They [Woolfolk and Ekhomu] set the tone, they played through everything,” Florida State Head Coach Sue Semrau said. “It was just a great, great team effort. I’m so proud of so many different contributions tonight. It’s a big win for us against a very good NC State team.”
Woolfolk led the Seminoles with 22 points, marking her third-best offensive outing of the season. Of her 22 points, 15 came from behind the arc, tying a career-high with five three-pointers.
Ekhomu followed with 20 points, while leading Florida State with six assists. Her 20-point contribution was her highest point total in conference play this season, besting her 17-point performance against Wake Forest on Sunday.
Redshirt junior forward Kiah Gillespie and freshman forward Valencia Myers both added nine points on the evening. Myers led the Seminoles with six rebounds and tied a career-high with five blocks. Redshirt freshman guard Sayawni Lassiter also posted a career number, tying her career-high with four rebounds.
The win marked the Seminoles’ 20th of the season, tying for the third fastest in program history to reach the 20-win mark. The other two came at the hands of Florida State’s last two NCAA Tournament Elite Eight teams in 2015 and 2017. Additionally, Florida State is now 9-0 in games decided by five points or less this season and is 3-1 against ranked opponents.
“This team is so fun to coach. Nobody expected it, but they did it and that’s a ball to coach,” Semrau said.
The Wolfpack opened the game on a 15-4 run, but the Seminoles responded with a 10-2 run of their own that featured eight straight points from Woolfolk.
Florida State opened the second quarter scoring eight consecutive points to take the lead. The two teams battled throughout the remainder of the half, but a jumper from Ekhomu with one second left gave the Seminoles a 29-28 lead at the break.
FSU is now 15-0 this season when leading at halftime.
The two sides played to an even 50-50 to end the third, with Woolfolk hitting a three with five seconds remaining in the quarter to tie the game.
Both teams continued to battle in the fourth, but the Seminoles ultimately pulled away. A 13-5 run by Florida State in the final three minutes of the game led the home side to victory. All but one of those 13 points came at the hands of the Seminoles’ three juniors.
The Seminole defense posted big numbers once again, forcing NC State into 16 turnovers while registering seven blocks and eight steals. The defense eventually fed into the offense, with Florida State registering 23 points off turnovers to NC State’s 14.
“They don’t stop on one end of the floor when the other end of the floor isn’t going well and that’s a mature basketball team,” Semrau said. “The fact that they have learned that and can put it into play against a Top-10 team is pretty impressive to me. We’re not done yet though, we’ve got lots of work to do.”
NO NAME GS MIN FGM FGA 3FGM 3FGA FTM FTA PTS OREB DREB REB PF AST TO BLK STL
== ==================== == === === === ==== ==== === === === ==== ==== === == === == === ===
10 Kourtney Weber g 13 1 3 1 3 0 0 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
12 Nicki Ekhomu g 37 8 20 0 3 4 5 20 1 4 5 1 6 0 1 1
13 Nausia Woolfolk g 35 8 18 5 10 1 1 22 1 2 3 2 3 3 0 3
15 Kiah Gillespie f 36 3 10 1 4 2 3 9 2 2 4 3 0 2 1 1
32 Valencia Myers f 23 4 6 0 0 1 3 9 3 3 6 4 0 1 5 2
3 Sayawni Lassiter 24 1 3 1 3 1 2 4 1 3 4 3 2 0 0 1
24 Morgan Jones 11 1 1 0 0 0 0 2 1 1 2 2 0 2 0 0
31 Savannah Wilkinson 21 2 4 0 2 2 2 6 1 1 2 1 0 0 0 0
Team 1 3 4
=========================================================================
FSU 5 200 28 65 8 25 11 16 75 11 19 30 17 11 8 7 8
Opp 200 26 61 7 17 11 12 70 15 29 44 14 11 16 0 2
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina State | |||||
| Florida State |
Florida State Suffers First Road Loss at No. 4 Notre Dame.
Seminoles’ four-game win streak snapped by Fighting Irish.
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – No. 24/19 Florida State (20-4, 8-3) suffered its first road loss of the season to the fourth-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish (22-3, 9-2) in a 97-70 defeat at the Purcell Pavilion on Sunday. The loss snapped a four-game win streak by the Seminoles dating back to Jan. 27.
Florida State’s three juniors all scored in double figures on the afternoon. Nicki Ekhomu led the way with 26 points, besting her highest point total in conference play for the third straight game. Of her 26 points, 11 came from the free throw line, where she went a perfect 11-of-11. Ekhomu also led the Seminoles with six assists.
Forward Kiah Gillespie followed suit with 17 points while leading the Seminoles with 11 rebounds. The last of the Seminole juniors, Nausia Woolfolk, registered 15 points on the afternoon.
Freshman forward Valencia Myers and guard Morgan Jones rounded out the scoring for Florida State, each with six points. Myers led the Seminoles with two steals, while Jones registered a season-high with 30 minutes played on the afternoon.
The Seminoles battled with the Irish early, facing only a six-point deficit to end the first quarter. Notre Dame then went on a 13-3 run, led by All-American Arike Ogunbowale, to end the second quarter leaving Florida State facing a 52-38 deficit at the half.
The Fighting Irish built off their fourteen-point halftime lead with a 15-0 run to begin the second half, putting the game essentially out of reach for the Seminoles.
Notre Dame’s 97 points scored was the most given up by Florida State this season, the next closest being 71 in its win at Boston College on Jan. 17. Ogunbowale finished the day with 27 points, while fellow All-ACC teammate Jessica Shepard registered 26.
NO NAME GS MIN FGM FGA 3FGM 3FGA FTM FTA PTS OREB DREB REB PF AST TO BLK STL
== ==================== == === === === ==== ==== === === === ==== ==== === == === == === ===
10 Kourtney Weber g 7 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0
12 Nicki Ekhomu g 40 6 14 3 4 11 11 26 0 3 3 2 6 1 0 1
13 Nausia Woolfolk g 27 6 13 3 6 0 0 15 0 2 2 5 1 0 0 1
15 Kiah Gillespie f 38 7 22 3 8 0 0 17 2 9 11 3 4 1 0 1
32 Valencia Myers f 20 2 8 0 1 2 2 6 4 1 5 5 0 3 1 2
3 Sayawni Lassiter 17 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 2 1 1 2 0 1
24 Morgan Jones 30 3 7 0 0 0 0 6 3 4 7 0 0 3 0 2
31 Savannah Wilkinson 21 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 3 0 0
Team 3 1 4
=========================================================================
FSU 5 200 24 70 9 22 13 13 70 12 24 36 16 13 14 1 8
Opp 200 36 68 6 11 19 22 97 9 34 43 11 25 10 5 8
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida State | |||||
| Notre Dame |
Ekhomu’s 27 Not Enough as Seminoles Fall to Tigers.
Florida State Falls at Clemson.
CLEMSON, S.C. – No. 21 Florida State (20-5, 8-4) fell on the road to the Clemson Tigers (16-9, 7-5) 73-68 on Thursday at the Littlejohn Coliseum. The game marked the end of a 14-game win streak by the Seminoles in games decided by five points or less.
Junior guard Nicki Ekhmou led Florida State with 27 points, registering her third-consecutive 20-point outing and besting her highest point total in conference play for the fourth straight game.
Fellow junior guard Nausia Woolfolk followed with 18 points, her fourth consecutive game scoring in double figures, while also tying for the Seminole lead with seven rebounds.
The last of the Seminoles’ three juniors, Kiah Gillespie, finished with ten points while sharing the lead in rebounds with Woolfolk with seven. Freshman guard Morgan Jones added ten points and finished one rebound shy of her career-high with six. Redshirt freshman guard Sayawni Lassiter rounded out the scoring with three points and led the Seminoles with three steals.
The two sides battled throughout the course of the first half with each team forcing 14 turnovers. Neither team was able to garner a lead over six points, but the Seminoles held a 32-30 advantage at the half, with 18 points coming off turnovers.
Clemson answered in the third due in part to a stretch of seven consecutive field goals made to end the quarter, outscoring Florida State 25-14 to earn a 55-46 lead heading into the fourth.
The Seminoles battled back throughout the fourth quarter, cutting the lead to two with a minute left in the game. The Tigers were able to hold on however to secure their second win over Florida State this year.
While forcing the Tigers into 23 turnovers, the Seminoles committed 21 of their own. Florida State held the advantage in turning that defense into offense however, scoring 27 points of their turnovers compared to just 13 from Clemson.
The Seminoles shot 38.3% (23-of-60) from the field on the night and 36.8% (7-of-19) from beyond the arc. Clemson however finished shooting 55.3% (26-of-47) on the night, the second highest field goal percentage registered against Florida State this season.
NO NAME GS MIN FGM FGA 3FGM 3FGA FTM FTA PTS OREB DREB REB PF AST TO BLK STL
== ==================== == === === === ==== ==== === === === ==== ==== === == === == === ===
10 Kourtney Weber g 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0
12 Nicki Ekhomu g 38 9 17 3 6 6 9 27 0 2 2 3 2 1 0 2
15 Kiah Gillespie f 39 4 16 1 6 1 3 10 3 4 7 0 0 3 0 2
24 Morgan Jones g 30 4 7 0 0 2 2 10 2 4 6 3 1 2 0 1
32 Valencia Myers f 18 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 2 5 5 1 6 2 1
3 Sayawni Lassiter 16 1 2 1 2 0 0 3 0 0 0 4 1 2 0 3
13 Nausia Woolfolk 32 5 13 2 4 6 8 18 4 3 7 3 1 3 0 2
31 Savannah Wilkinson 24 0 3 0 1 0 0 0 2 2 4 4 1 4 0 1
Team 2 2 4
=========================================================================
FSU 5 200 23 60 7 19 15 22 68 16 19 35 24 7 21 2 12
Opp 200 26 47 5 9 16 26 73 7 25 32 20 15 23 3 12
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida State | |||||
| Clemson |
Stifling Seminole Defense Delivers 21st Win of the Season.
No. 21/19 Florida State Women’s Hoops trounces Pitt 78-46 behind a strong defensive
effort.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The No. 21/19 Florida State Women’s Basketball team got back to hanging their hats on the defensive end on Sunday. The Seminoles (21-5, 9-4) allowed an ACC opponent-low 30.5 percent shooting effort by Pitt in a 78-46 win on ‘Paint it Pink’ day at the Tucker Center.
Coupled with a staunch defensive showing was an efficient display on the offensive end, shooting 49.1 percent from the floor (28-of-57) and using a 28-point first quarter to break open the game early. FSU improves to 17-0 this season when it shoots 40 percent or better from the floor.
With pre-game emotions spilling out for the return of current Pitt head coach and 15-year FSU associate/assistant coach Lance White, the Seminoles came out with a locked-in mentality once the ball was tipped. Redshirt junior forward Kiah Gillespie recorded her ninth double-double of the season with 18 points and 10 boards while adding a career-high six assists.
“We talked a lot about our toughness, and I think it’s easy for a young team to settle in a little bit,” FSU head coach Sue Semrau said. “The last two days of practice they had been extremely locked in – they were tough. They came together and you could see it today.”
Sophomore Savannah Wilkinson’s hustle plays were noticed on Sunday. The London, England, native had eight points, seven rebounds, three steals and two blocked shots in 21 minutes. Her eight points is a season high for her in conference play.
“What Savannah did was completely change the tone,” Semrau said. “Her and Nausia going to the offensive glass, I thought was the difference in the game early. We hit some shots in the paint which was nice, but they’re a tough defensive team to figure out, and going to the offensive glass changes a lot of things.”
Freshman Valencia Myers contributed with 13 points, six rebounds and two blocked shots in 29 minutes of action. Myers went 5-of-5 from the floor, and her season total of 44 blocks is 14th on the FSU single-season list.
The Panthers were held to seven points in both the second and third quarters, struggling to score the basketball all afternoon. Pitt’s 46 points scored, 18 field goals made, seven assists and 16.7 percent shooting from deep were all season lows by an FSU opponent in conference play.
“All the injuries they’ve faced, it has changed the complexion of the way they’ve had to do it,” Pitt head coach Lance White said on FSU’s ability to get through the season with different challenges. “They’ve won a ton of games down the stretch, and when you have great one-on-one players you have the ability to do that.
“She’s (Coach Sue) done a great job with this group to put them in contention, get back to the tournament and all that stuff.”
The victory moves the Seminoles to the doorstep of another double-digit win season in ACC play, as they show a 9-4 conference record with four games remaining. Entering the year, only Louisville, Notre Dame, FSU and Syracuse had four consecutive seasons of 10+ wins in ACC play.
The win by the Seminoles also puts them in sole possession of fifth place in the ACC, sitting behind Notre Dame (10-2), Louisville (10-2), Miami (10-2) and NC State (9-2). Just behind FSU is sixth-place Syracuse (8-4) and seventh-place Clemson (8-5).
FSU dominated the glass on Sunday, recording 44 rebounds compared to Pitt’s 29. The Seminoles also continued their strong play of getting points off turnovers, out-scoring Pitt 24-8 in the category.
NO NAME GS MIN FGM FGA 3FGM 3FGA FTM FTA PTS OREB DREB REB PF AST TO BLK STL
== ==================== == === === === ==== ==== === === === ==== ==== === == === == === ===
12 Nicki Ekhomu g 29 4 10 3 5 4 4 15 0 2 2 1 5 3 0 1
13 Nausia Woolfolk g 30 4 13 1 5 2 2 11 3 5 8 0 3 3 0 1
15 Kiah Gillespie f 31 7 15 3 8 1 2 18 0 10 10 2 6 4 0 2
24 Morgan Jones g 25 4 5 0 0 1 2 9 1 1 2 1 0 1 0 1
32 Valencia Myers f 29 5 5 0 0 3 4 13 1 5 6 1 1 3 2 0
3 Sayawni Lassiter 16 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 0 1 1 2 0 1 0 2
10 Kourtney Weber 19 0 4 0 1 2 2 2 3 1 4 2 1 0 0 0
31 Savannah Wilkinson 21 4 5 0 1 0 1 8 3 4 7 0 2 0 2 3
Team 3 1 4
=========================================================================
FSU 5 200 28 57 7 20 15 19 78 14 30 44 9 18 15 4 10
Opp 200 18 59 3 18 7 11 46 13 16 29 17 7 17 0 9
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh | |||||
| Florida State |
Florida State Falls at Miami.
Seminoles suffer first regular-season loss to Hurricanes since 2014.
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – No. 22/20 Florida State (21-6, 9-5) fell to No. 14 Miami (23-6, 11-3) in a 64-54 defeat on Sunday at the Watsco Center. The loss was the Seminoles’ first to the Hurricanes in the regular season since 2014 and their first in Miami since 2012.
Junior guard Nausia Woolfolk led Florida State on the day with 20 points, her sixth-consecutive game scoring in double figures, while also leading the Seminoles with three steals.
Fellow junior guard Nicki Ekhomu registered 12 points and led the Seminoles with four assists. Ekhomu also led the team with two blocks on the afternoon, tying her career high.
The last of Florida State’s juniors, redshirt forward Kiah Gillespie added nine points and led the Seminoles with a career-high 15 rebounds.
Sophomore guard Savannah Wilkinson scored eight points for the second game in a row, tying her season-high in ACC play, while adding five rebounds. Freshmen Kourtney Weber and Valencia Myers added three and two points respectively to close out the scoring for the Seminoles on the afternoon.
Florida State outscored Miami 16-8 in the first quarter, thanks in part to a 10-0 run that began with six minutes left in the half. The Seminoles forced the Hurricanes into six turnovers in the opening quarter, while also registering two blocks and three steals.
The Seminoles opened the second quarter with back-to-back three pointers from Woolfolk and Gillespie. From there, the Hurricanes spawned a 22-4 run that lasted nearly eight minutes to end the half, giving them a 30-26 advantage at the break.
After the two sides battled to an even 13-13 in the third quarter, the Hurricanes opened the fourth with a 10-0 run. The Seminoles worked to battle back but could not overcome the deficit with the home side maintaining their lead for the entirety of the second half.
The Seminoles shot 33.3% (19-of-57) from the field and 31.6% (6-of-19) from beyond the arc on the afternoon. The Hurricanes finished the day shooting 40.4% (20-of-52).
NO NAME GS MIN FGM FGA 3FGM 3FGA FTM FTA PTS OREB DREB REB PF AST TO BLK STL
== ==================== == === === === ==== ==== === === === ==== ==== === == === == === ===
12 Nicki Ekhomu g 38 4 11 1 3 3 4 12 0 2 2 3 4 4 2 0
13 Nausia Woolfolk g 34 7 18 3 7 3 4 20 1 3 4 2 3 3 0 2
15 Kiah Gillespie f 35 4 10 1 5 0 0 9 7 8 15 2 0 1 0 1
24 Morgan Jones g 21 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 4 0 2 0 0
32 Valencia Myers f 15 0 3 0 0 2 2 2 0 0 0 4 0 1 1 1
3 Sayawni Lassiter 15 0 3 0 2 0 0 0 1 2 3 2 1 1 0 1
10 Kourtney Weber 12 1 2 1 1 0 0 3 0 0 0 2 0 1 1 0
31 Savannah Wilkinson 30 3 9 0 1 2 2 8 1 4 5 3 2 0 0 1
Team 2 2 1
=========================================================================
FSU 5 200 19 57 6 19 10 12 54 11 22 33 22 10 14 4 6
Opp 200 21 52 6 18 16 21 64 11 27 38 17 10 14 4 10
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida State | |||||
| Miami |
Seminoles Drop Home Finale to Syracuse in High-Scoring Thriller.
Orange point guard Tiana Mangakahia scores an opponent season-high 44 points as
Florida State Women’s Basketball falls 94-88.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – No. 22/21 Florida State Women’s Basketball executed its game plan well. It just couldn’t contain Syracuse point guard Tiana Mangakahia.
The junior guard from Brisbane, Australia, scored an opponent season-high 44 points against the Seminoles (21-7, 9-6) as Florida State fell 94-88 to the 17th-ranked Orange (21-7, 10-5) in a high-scoring thriller on Thursday night at the Tucker Center.
“I’m just really proud of this team,” FSU head coach Sue Semrau said. “We did not have an answer for their point guard. We played her different ways off the ball screens and she made us pay in every way. It would have been nice to have more bodies to put on her and she played a tremendous game, but I thought we did too.
“To score 88 points, out-rebound them… they’re the best rebounding team in the league, they shoot 30 threes a game, we held them to nine, so they executed the game-plan and we just missed a couple shots down the stretch.”
The loss drops Florida State to sixth place in the ACC standings with one regular season game to go on Sunday at Georgia Tech at 1 p.m. A win by the Seminoles assures them of a sixth seed in next week’s ACC Tournament, while a loss could put FSU as far as eighth in the conference.
The Seminoles showed quite a bit of resilience with just eighth healthy bodies once again. Junior guard Nausia Woolfolk scored a career-high 29 points on 11-of-18 shooting, including 17 in the second half. With Florida State trailing by its largest deficit at 11 with 9:09 left, Woolfolk willed the Seminoles to a 79-79 tie on a personal 7-0 run with 4:17 left.
Mangakahia responded with another weaving layup to the basket, but Woolfolk came back with a layup to knot the game at 81-81 with 3:11 left. Redshirt junior Kiah Gillespie then helped FSU stay even with Syracuse by getting a layup to tie it at 85-85 with 1:57 left.
Mangakahia once again took over from there, scoring on a fast break and then hitting seven free throws down the stretch as FSU tried to extend the game.
“I’m proud of them, I mean I really am,” Semrau added on what she told her team in the locker room after. “They executed the game plan, and they practiced really well these past days to prepare for this. I don’t want to be a coach that all of a sudden the expectations change. They have exceeded everyone’s expectations. Are we satisfied? No, but we are very content with who we are and we understand, they don’t need to be something they aren’t. It’s about the process, the wins and losses will come but it’s about the process.”
Freshman center Valencia Myers had a career performance with 19 points, going 5-of-7 from the floor and 9-of-9 from the free throw line. Syracuse did not have an answer for Myers’ post moves, as she at times dominated in her 24 minutes of action.
“I had two great practices before this and it carried over,” Myers said. “My team and the guards trusted me to keep giving me the ball and that helps build my confidence.”
Gillespie added 20 points for FSU, her team-leading 10th 20-point game of the season. Junior guard Nicki Ekhomu added 12 points, while freshman guard Morgan Jones contributed with eight points.
NO NAME GS MIN FGM FGA 3FGM 3FGA FTM FTA PTS OREB DREB REB PF AST TO BLK STL
== ==================== == === === === ==== ==== === === === ==== ==== === == === == === ===
12 Nicki Ekhomu g 38 5 15 0 5 2 4 12 0 0 0 4 3 1 0 2
13 Nausia Woolfolk g 33 11 18 2 5 5 6 29 4 0 4 4 1 3 0 0
15 Kiah Gillespie f 36 7 17 1 4 5 7 20 2 1 3 0 3 4 1 1
24 Morgan Jones g 26 3 5 0 0 2 5 8 0 3 3 5 0 2 1 0
32 Valencia Myers f 24 5 7 0 0 9 9 19 2 2 4 2 1 1 0 0
3 Sayawni Lassiter 14 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 5 0 0 0 2
10 Kourtney Weber 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 0
31 Savannah Wilkinson 20 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 5 1 0 1 0 0
Team 3 4 7
=========================================================================
FSU 5 200 31 64 3 14 23 31 88 15 14 29 22 8 12 3 5
Opp 200 36 58 4 9 18 20 94 8 19 27 25 11 13 3 5
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Syracuse | |||||
| Florida State |
Dominant Fourth Quarter Captures Sixth Seed for Seminoles.
No. 22/21 Florida State Women’s Hoops out-scores Georgia Tech 17-4 in the final frame
and wins regular season finale 64-55; FSU will be the sixth seed in next week’s ACC Tournament.
ATLANTA, Ga. – A dominant fourth quarter in which No. 22/21 Florida State Women’s Basketball forced eight turnovers and out-scored Georgia Tech 17-4 led to a 64-55 win in the regular-season finale at McCamish Pavilion on Sunday.
The Seminoles (22-7, 10-6) clinched a fifth straight season with double-digit wins in the ACC despite being picked to finish in the middle of the league, their lowest pre-season prediction in 15 years.
Five double-figure scorers led the Seminoles, including a game-high 16 points from junior Nausia Woolfolk, 12 each from Jonesboro, Ga., native Morgan Jones and Kiah Gillespie, 11 from Valencia Myers and 10 from Nicki Ekhomu.
Jones, playing in front of several hometown fans, led the FSU charge by tying her career high in points and establishing a new high with eight rebounds. Ekhomu tied her career high with eight assists, while Gillespie added her 10th double-double with 13 rebounds.
Overall, FSU forced 15 Georgia Tech turnovers, with more than half coming in the final quarter. The Yellow Jackets ran out of steam in the closing period, being held to just 2-of-12 from the floor in the last 10 minutes. FSU also out-rebounded a tough Georgia Tech team on the glass, 43-37.
The Seminoles will be the sixth seed at next week’s ACC Tournament in Greensboro, N.C.
FSU shot 46.7 percent in the third quarter but still trailed 51-47 entering the fourth. Georgia Tech’s Elizabeth Balogun led all scorers with 13 points, but Jones picked up her play and helped FSU in the scoring column and on the glass with nine points and six boards through the first three periods. FSU held Georgia Tech to just 5-of-15 shooting in the third, but three of those were from long range by the Yellow Jackets.
Georgia Tech took a 36-32 lead at halftime after a buzzer-beating lay-in by D’asia Gregg. From the end of the first quarter to the beginning of the second, the Yellow Jackets went on a 12-0 run, but FSU managed to keep the pace after scoring 20 second-quarter points. Ekhomu ignited the Seminoles with eight points and five assists going into the break.
Florida State took a 12-11 lead to end the first quarter despite being held scoreless over the remaining three minutes of the period. FSU held the Yellow Jackets to just 25 percent shooting (4-of-16) in the opening frame. Woolfolk helped the Seminoles with two 3-point field goals to start the game.
NO NAME GS MIN FGM FGA 3FGM 3FGA FTM FTA PTS OREB DREB REB PF AST TO BLK STL
== ==================== == === === === ==== ==== === === === ==== ==== === == === == === ===
12 Nicki Ekhomu g 36 4 15 2 7 0 0 10 1 3 4 1 8 4 0 2
13 Nausia Woolfolk g 38 6 16 2 8 2 4 16 2 2 4 2 5 3 0 4
15 Kiah Gillespie f 37 5 16 0 6 2 2 12 5 8 13 2 2 0 0 1
24 Morgan Jones g 32 5 6 0 0 2 4 12 3 5 8 3 1 2 0 1
31 Savannah Wilkinson g 21 1 2 0 0 0 2 2 3 2 5 1 2 0 0 1
3 Sayawni Lassiter 6 0 0 0 0 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
10 Kourtney Weber 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1
32 Valencia Myers 22 5 8 0 0 1 2 11 1 4 5 3 0 2 4 3
Team 3 3
=========================================================================
FSU 5 200 26 63 4 21 8 16 64 18 25 43 12 18 13 4 13
Opp 200 22 60 7 17 4 12 55 15 22 37 16 15 15 3 15
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida State | |||||
| Georgia Tech |
Seminoles Lock Down Duke in ACC Second Round Win.
Sixth-seeded Florida State Women’s Basketball stymies the Blue Devils in a 51-41 victory at the
Greensboro Coliseum.
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The sixth-seeded Florida State Women’s Basketball team brought some junkyard defense to the Greensboro Coliseum on Thursday night, shutting down No. 11 seed Duke 51-41 in an ACC Tournament Second Round matchup.
The Seminoles (23-7) held the Blue Devils (15-15) to just 29.3 percent shooting from the floor and out-rebounded a much taller Duke squad 42-28. Redshirt junior forward Kiah Gillespie led the way with 15 points and 12 rebounds – her 11th double-double of the season which ties for fifth on the FSU single-season list.
“I know Duke has been playing extremely well,” FSU head coach Sue Semrau said. “They won their last four, hit 12 3s last night. I thought our players did a great job of making sure they knew what the assignment was, what the game plan was and stuck to it the whole game. We didn't shoot the ball extremely well but we rebounded it really well. I think that was the difference in the game.”
FSU corralled 13 offensive rebounds. Tenacious defending junior guard Nausia Woolfolk tied her career high with nine rebounds in addition to her 10 points scored, helping blanket Duke’s ball handlers all night.
Junior point guard Nicki Ekhomu had a strong game defensively against talented Duke sharp-shooter Miela Goodchild, who did not score and went 0-of-6 from the floor.
“I think our length on the perimeter was really -- and the speed that we had -- Morgan Jones is so long as a freshman,” Semrau added. “Nausia Woolfolk has such great athleticism. She had to play on (Haley) Gorecki a lot. And that put Nicki Ekhomu on Goodchild, and I thought she did a fantastic job.”
The victory by Florida State is its first against Duke in the ACC Tournament. FSU, which is ranked 22nd in the AP Poll, will face third-seeded and ninth-ranked NC State.
Freshman center Valencia Myers had another game-changing performance, adding eight points, four blocked shots and two steals. Myers’ 53 blocks this season is 11th on the FSU single-season list.
FSU wore down Duke in the second half, holding the Blue Devils to just 25 percent shooting (8-of-32) over the game’s final 20 minutes. Gorecki led all scorers with 17 points, but it came on 18 shot attempts.
Duke also registered just six assists on its 17 made field goals, and went 2-of-12 from long distance.
“That's what we talk about every day,” Semrau said about FSU’s rebounding. “You don't have to be tall to be a warrior. And we talked about toughness ever since the Clemson game. And these kids have continued to grow every single game.”
NO NAME GS MIN FGM FGA 3FGM 3FGA FTM FTA PTS OREB DREB REB PF AST TO BLK STL
== ==================== == === === === ==== ==== === === === ==== ==== === == === == === ===
12 Nicki Ekhomu g 36 3 7 1 4 0 0 7 1 4 5 5 4 2 1 1
13 Nausia Woolfolk g 39 5 16 0 7 0 2 10 3 6 9 3 1 3 0 1
15 Kiah Gillespie f 38 6 14 3 7 0 0 15 2 10 12 1 3 1 1 0
24 Morgan Jones g 25 3 4 0 0 0 0 6 1 3 4 0 0 2 1 0
32 Valencia Myers f 32 4 8 0 0 0 0 8 2 2 4 4 0 4 4 2
3 Sayawni Lassiter 17 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 0 3 3 1 1 1 0 1
10 Kourtney Weber 3 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
31 Savannah Wilkinson 10 0 1 0 0 3 4 3 3 0 3 0 0 2 1 0
Team 1 1
=========================================================================
FSU 5 200 21 51 4 19 5 8 51 13 29 42 14 9 15 8 5
Opp 200 17 58 2 12 5 11 41 12 16 28 13 6 8 0 6
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida State | |||||
| Duke |
Seminoles Exit From ACC Tournament.
Women's Basketball falls to No. 3 seed NC State in hard-fought 69-62 battle.
by Steve Stone
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The sixth-seeded Florida State Women’s Basketball team did not go down without a fight on Friday night, falling to No. 3 seed NC State, 69-62, in a hard-fought ACC Tournament Quarterfinal at the Greensboro Coliseum.
“I want to compliment NC State. What Wes (Moore) has done with that team, they just continue to fight and played great defense,” FSU head coach Sue Semrau said post-game. “It was a great experience for us, though. It was an experience with a very young team to come in and play a top 10 team and to compete at that level. You could see the immaturity in our team. We’ll continue to grow, and this will be a great teaching tool going forward to the NCAA Tournament.”
Junior guard Nicki Ekhomu gave the Wolfpack (26-4) problems through most of the evening, finishing with a game-high 23 points as she nearly willed the Seminoles (23-8) to a comeback. With FSU trailing 63-53 with 1:12 remaining, freshman Kourtney Weber drilled a 3-point field goal, and Ekhomu followed with a 3-pointer of her own following an NC State turnover to cut the deficit to just 63-59 with 50 seconds left.
Following two free throws from NC State’s Kiara Leslie, Ekhomu drilled another 3-pointer to make it 65-62 Wolfpack with 37 seconds left. FSU, however, was unable to convert on its next offensive possession as NC State salted the game away.
Junior guard Nausia Woolfolk added 11 points for the Seminoles. Redshirt junior forward Kiah Gillespie recorded another double-digit rebound performance, adding 11 boards, eight points and two blocks.
NC State center Elissa Cunane scored 22 points to lead the Wolfpack. FSU hung tough with a very good rebounding team but ultimately fell in the category, 38-32.
Freshman guard Morgan Jones chipped in with eight points on 4-of-5 shooting for the Seminoles. Weber hit two 3-point field goals and was strong defensively for FSU.
Semrau was asked about how Florida State has defied the expectations so far despite the immense youth and numerous injuries.
“And how could you, with the youth and then the three major injuries that we had,” Semrau said when asked how many did not expect FSU to be at its current point. “Makes me very proud. My juniors have carried a very heavy load and done a great job doing it, to be in a position to go and compete in the NCAA Tournament with this young team. Really excited to have 23 wins on the year and 10 in the ACC. I think they have accomplished a lot this year.”
Florida State bounced back to go on a strong run to finish the first quarter, making five of its last six and taking a 24-20 lead. After Gillespie nailed her second 3-point field goal of the game, Woolfolk followed with another triple from the corner to help FSU take a 20-14 lead. A pair of Ekhomu free throws gave the Seminoles a 22-15 advantage, but NC State closed well by scoring on its next two possessions to cut its deficit to four.
NC State’s defense tightened up considerably, holding the Seminoles to just seven points in the second quarter. FSU managed to stay within striking distance by trailing 35-31 at halftime, with Ekhomu leading the Seminoles with 11 points headed into the break. NC State did much of its damage inside with 18 first-half points in the paint, but FSU countered with four made 3-point field goals.
A closing 10-0 run by the Wolfpack made it difficult for the comeback, as it took a 50-39 lead over the Seminoles heading into the fourth. FSU defended well, but was unable to execute a string of possessions against a sturdy defensive squad like NC State.
NO NAME GS MIN FGM FGA 3FGM 3FGA FTM FTA PTS OREB DREB REB PF AST TO BLK STL
== ==================== == === === === ==== ==== === === === ==== ==== === == === == === ===
12 Nicki Ekhomu g 36 6 14 3 5 8 8 23 0 5 5 5 4 1 0 2
13 Nausia Woolfolk g 35 4 14 2 7 1 2 11 0 3 3 3 2 1 1 1
15 Kiah Gillespie f 34 3 13 2 6 0 0 8 2 9 11 0 1 2 2 0
24 Morgan Jones g 22 4 5 0 0 0 0 8 0 0 0 2 3 1 0 1
32 Valencia Myers f 17 3 5 0 0 0 0 6 1 1 2 5 1 4 0 0
3 Sayawni Lassiter 9 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0
10 Kourtney Weber 18 2 2 2 2 0 0 6 1 2 3 3 2 0 2 0
31 Savannah Wilkinson 29 0 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 4 4 2 0 1 0 0
Team 1 1 2
=========================================================================
FSU 5 200 22 59 9 22 9 10 62 7 25 32 20 13 10 5 4
Opp 200 24 53 6 15 15 23 69 8 30 38 9 16 9 3 2
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida State | |||||
| North Carolina State |
Seminoles Hold Off Bucknell in 70-67 Thriller.
No. 5 seed Florida State Women’s Basketball wins its 16th consecutive NCAA First Round game on
Friday.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - Kiah Gillespie had 17 points and 11 rebounds, and fifth-seeded Florida State held on to beat No. 12 seed Bucknell 70-67 in the opening round of the women's NCAA Tournament on Friday.
Nicki Ekhomu, Nausia Woolfolk and Valencia Myers each had 15 points for the Seminoles (24-8), who advanced to play fourth-seeded South Carolina on Sunday.
Gillespie played big in the paint, helping Florida State outrebound Bucknell 44-23. She also hit a big 3-pointer in the closing minutes as the Seminoles battled back from a four-point deficit early in the fourth quarter.
“Well, just credit Bucknell. I mean, what a great game plan they had and they just played like the champions of the Patriot League,” FSU head coach Sue Semrau said. “I was really, really impressed and have a lot of respect for them. And then I'm just so proud of our players. Two weeks off is a long time to be off and you can see that at the beginning of the game.
“We were rusty, we weren't able to get stops, and for them to just bear down and come back and win a gritty game, I'm just really, really proud of them. And I think the biggest thing for me is rebounding. And the way we were able to rebound the ball, I thought, was the difference.”
Kate Walker led Bucknell (28-6) with 18 points, while Kaitlyn Slagus had 13 and Ellie Mack had 12.
Bucknell trailed 54-50 before opening the quarter on an 8-0 run led by Slagus, who hit a 3-pointer and two free throws and Abby Kapp, who drained a 3 from the top of the key.
But Florida State battled back to take the lead for good at 63-60 with 3:55 left when Ekhomu drove the right side of the lane, scored and drew a foul for a 3-point play. Gillespie followed with a big 3-pointer from the top of the key on the next possession to make it two possession game.
Bucknell kept battling, cutting the lead to two with 17 seconds left when Kapp scored on a layup of a side inbounds play. And when Ekhomu missed the front end of a one-and-one with 14.6 seconds left, Bucknell a chance to tie and send the game into overtime. But Slagus and Kyi English both missed 3-pointers on a frantic final possession.
“It's really fun and it’s amazing because my teammates really gave me a lot of confidence to get the ball inside to me,” Myers said after her 15-point, six-rebound performance. “We knew that it was gonna be one-on-one in the post and they just trusted all the post players to make our moves and had confidence in us.”
NO NAME GS MIN FGM FGA 3FGM 3FGA FTM FTA PTS OREB DREB REB PF AST TO BLK STL
== ==================== == === === === ==== ==== === === === ==== ==== === == === == === ===
12 Nicki Ekhomu g 38 5 15 0 5 5 7 15 1 1 2 2 4 1 0 2
13 Nausia Woolfolk g 31 7 15 1 2 0 0 15 2 6 8 4 1 4 0 1
15 Kiah Gillespie f 35 5 17 2 6 5 6 17 5 6 11 1 1 2 2 0
24 Morgan Jones g 16 2 5 0 0 2 3 6 5 1 6 4 1 4 0 0
32 Valencia Myers f 29 6 8 0 0 3 4 15 3 3 6 3 0 2 1 0
3 Sayawni Lassiter 21 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 2 3 5 4 1 2 0 1
10 Kourtney Weber 14 1 2 0 0 0 0 2 1 1 2 0 1 0 0 0
31 Savannah Wilkinson 16 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 4 2 0 1 0 0
=========================================================================
FSU 5 200 26 63 3 14 15 20 70 20 24 44 20 9 16 3 4
Opp 200 22 51 8 23 15 17 67 5 18 23 18 14 13 1 6
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida State | |||||
| Bucknell |
Noles End Fulfilling Year vs. South Carolina.
by Steve Stone
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Seminoles.com) – Once again, it was right there for the taking.
The fifth-seeded Florida State Women’s Basketball team had closed out so many close games in positive fashion this season. And being tied at 60-60 with 2 ½ minutes left, another opportunity was there.
But a strong close by fourth-seeded South Carolina spoiled the Seminoles’ (24-9) chances of their sixth NCAA Sweet 16, as a 12-4 run in the closing minutes by the Gamecocks (23-9) dealt Florida State a 72-64 season-ending loss at Halton Arena in Charlotte, N.C., on Sunday.
“Two teams just battled and you saw it till the very last play,” FSU head coach Sue Semrau said. “Two teams that put a lot of belief and courage in themselves. Especially proud of my team and the courage they had as a young team to come out in this great environment.”
Junior guard Nicki Ekhomu led all scorers with 19 points on 8-of-18 shooting, adding four rebounds and four assists. The Bolingbrook, Ill., native was difficult to stop, and her jumper cut FSU’s deficit to 63-62 with 1:56 remaining.
Ekhomu led a Seminole squad with just eight healthy bodies whom withstood the pounding of a tough and physical South Carolina team that also carries plenty of depth.
“It says a lot about the fight and I just think that we appreciate our coaches, our whole staff as far as the way we train,” Ekhomu said. “They really make sure that we take care of our bodies and I think that, that’s what really helped us be able to sustain playing 40 minutes that hard.”
Redshirt junior forward and All-ACC First Team performer Kiah Gillespie registered her 13th double-double of the season. She had 15 and 18 rebounds, establishing an FSU single-game postseason record for rebounds.
Freshman guard Morgan Jones became an enormous X-factor on Sunday, adding a career-high 15 points along with five rebounds. The Jonesboro, Ga., native recorded 11 of her 15 points in the second half and made some big buckets down the stretch to give the Seminoles a chance.
“I’m absolutely amazed,” Semrau added. “I’m amazed at their resilience; I’m amazed when I think about their practices. There are eight kids at practice and they have stayed positive, ready and fit. Like Nicki (Ekhomu) said, I really credit our strength coach Dave Plettl. He has done a phenomenal job with helping me to know how to prepare them for this time of year.”
The Seminoles dominated the Gamecocks on the glass with 50 total boards compared to South Carolina’s 33. However, FSU was not able to stay away from the whistles as it was called for 23 fouls compared to USC’s 14.
FSU’s 23 fouls called, in what was a physical game, was its third-most this season. South Carolina went 20-of-24 from the line while FSU shot 7-of-11 from the charity stripe.
FSU was able to capitalize in transition, which was a key area for Jones. The Seminoles totaled a season-high 18 fast-break points, and also held a strong edge in second-chance points at 19-9.
For Florida State, big aspirations are already shaping up for next season. FSU does not have any seniors, returns key players from injury and adds three top-notch freshmen.
“To get those players back that have been injured, I am extremely excited,” Semrau said of the prospects of next year. “We went into this year knowing theyouth and building for what’s to come. We also have a couple in Atlanta at the All-American game that can hopefully help us right away. We’ll have the depththat we didn’t have this year, next year.”
NO NAME GS MIN FGM FGA 3FGM 3FGA FTM FTA PTS OREB DREB REB PF AST TO BLK STL
== ==================== == === === === ==== ==== === === === ==== ==== === == === == === ===
12 Nicki Ekhomu g 36 8 18 1 3 2 4 19 3 1 4 2 4 2 0 1
13 Nausia Woolfolk g 33 2 13 0 3 2 2 6 2 4 6 3 2 4 1 0
15 Kiah Gillespie f 37 6 21 2 7 1 1 15 7 11 18 4 1 1 2 0
24 Morgan Jones g 25 7 14 0 0 1 2 15 5 0 5 3 0 1 0 2
32 Valencia Myers f 26 1 4 0 0 1 2 3 3 2 5 5 2 5 0 2
3 Sayawni Lassiter 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 3 4 1 0 0 0
10 Kourtney Weber 10 3 3 0 0 0 0 6 2 0 2 2 0 0 0 0
31 Savannah Wilkinson 18 0 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 3 0 0 0 0 0
Team 3 1 4
=========================================================================
FSU 5 200 27 76 3 14 7 11 64 27 23 50 23 10 13 3 5
Opp 200 24 56 4 12 20 24 72 10 23 33 14 12 12 9 5
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida State | |||||
| South Carolina |