ORLANDO – Dunk City, meet Dunk State.
Playing its first NCAA tournament game in five years, the Florida State men’s basketball team out-shot, out-rebounded and, most notably, out-dunked Florida Gulf Coast on the way to an 86-80 victory in the first round of March Madness here at the Amway Center.
Dwayne Bacon scored a team-high 25 points on 11 of 17 shooting, and Jonathan Isaac added 17 points for FSU (26-8), which will meet 11th-seeded Xavier in the Round of 32 on Saturday. The Musketeers upset No. 6-seed Maryland in the first game of the evening.
FGCU earned its “Dunk City” nickname thanks to the fast-paced, high-flying style that sparked a surprise run to the Sweet 16 in 2013.
On Thursday night, however, the highlight reel belonged mostly to Florida State, which out-dunked the Eagles, 9-2, and used a pair of thunderous dunks to help build both a lead and momentum midway through the game.
The Seminoles and Eagles entered the game ranked first and third, respectively, in total dunks this season.
The Seminoles led by as many as 12 points late in the second half, then survived an FGCU rally in the game’s final few minutes.
Brandon Goodwin scored 28 point to lead FGCU, which was making its third tournament appearance in the last five years.
