TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (seminoles.com) – Freshman Jonathan Isaac scored 17 points and added 11 rebounds and teammate Michael Ojo contributed 14 points and 13 rebounds to lead Florida State to a 119-58 win over Southeastern in men’s basketball exhibition action at the Donald L. Tucker Center on Thursday evening. Isaac and Ojo were two of seven Seminoles to top the double-digit scoring mark, along with junior Phil Cofer, who emerged with a game-high 20 points to go along with nine rebounds.
Isaac finished off his double-double by converting 7-of-9 from the field, including one 3-pointer, as he crashed the glass for eight defensive rebounds. Meanwhile, Ojo knocked down 7-of-10 from the floor and finished with five offensive rebounds.
Cofer led the way for all Florida State scorers as he hit 7-of-8 from the floor to go along with five free throws. One of four Seminoles with at least seven rebounds, Cofer was integral in providing Florida State a 63-22 edge in total rebounds and an 18-11 advantage in offensive boards.
Florida State, which shot 44-of-69 (63.8%) from the floor and 8-of-23 (34.8%) from 3-point range, also received double figure outings from PJ Savoy (15 points), Dwayne Bacon (13), Terance Mann (10) and Christ Koumadje (10). The Seminole offense, which shot 63.8 percent for the game from the field, was able to get in rhythm due to a solid defensive effort that held Southeastern to 22-of-77 (28.6%) shooting from the floor and 10-for-31 (32.3%) from beyond the arc.
Cofer scored seven points, including a 3-pointer from the right corner, in the first 6:59 of the second half as Florida State extended its 21-point halftime advantage to 75-29. Stephon Edwards knocked down a 3-pointer for the Fire, before the Seminoles responded with eight unanswered as they moved in front 83-32 on an Ojo dunk on a pass from Trent Forrest.
Isaac’s only 3-pointer of the game helped the Seminoles maintain a 50-point lead, 86-35, which quickly ballooned to 54 following a series of points in the paint by Cofer and Ojo.
Mann put Florida State at the century mark as he dunked a pass from Rathan-Mayes as Florida State assumed the 100-48 lead. The backcourt threat of Bacon and Savoy added three 3-pointers while Ojo added four points to help the Seminoles score 19 of the final 29 points of the game.
Florida State held a 54-23 lead at the intermission.
Four points each from the combination of Ojo and Forrest got the Florida State offense off to a solid start as the Seminoles established a 14-7 lead inside the first seven minutes of the contest. Southeastern answered by scoring four of the next six points, trimming the deficit to five, before Koumadje scored the first six points of a 16-7 Seminole run that stretched the lead to 32-18.
Leading 35-21 with 5:30 left in the half, Florida State used the inside presence of Isaac and Cofer, who combined for nine points, along with 3-pointers from combination of Bacon and Savoy to assume a 47-21 advantage.
Savoy extended the Florida State lead to 50-21 after knocking down his second 3-pointer of the first half, while contributions from Xavier Rathan-Mayes and Cofer allowed the Seminoles to head into the intermission with a 21-point advantage.
The story of the first half was Florida State’s defense, which limited the Fire to only a Jase Miguez layup over the final 5:51. The Seminoles held Southeastern to 9-of-33 (27.3%) from the floor and 3-of-12 (25%) from beyond the arc.
Florida State also finished the first half with a 30-9 advantage on the glass, grabbing 11 offensive rebounds, including three each by Ojo and Mann. The Seminole offense knocked down 21-of-35 (60%) from the field and was successful on 9-of-14 (64.3%) of its free throw attempts.
The Seminoles make their regular season debut against Valdosta State on Thursday, Nov. 3, at the Donald L. Tucker Center. Florida State is ranked 26th nationally in the first coaches poll of the season, released on October 20. The Seminoles are one of five ACC teams (Duke, 1; North Carolina, 6; Virginia, 7; Louisville, 14; Syracuse, 17; Florida State, 26) ranked in the nation’s top 26 to start the season.
