TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Shakayla Thomas scored 29 points, Ama Degbeon had a double-double and No. 13 Florida State rolled to an 87-62 win over Samford on Sunday.
Imani Wright and Nausia Woolfolk added 14 points apiece for the Seminoles (6-0). Thomas was 12-of-17 shooting and Degbeon had 11 points and 11 rebounds plus three blocks.
“We’ve been good at halftime adjustments this season,” FSU head coach Sue Semrau said following the game. “We needed to get back to the fundamentals. We had to be more patient on offense and aggressive on defense.”
Hannah Nichols scored half of her 20 points in the first half and the Bulldogs (2-4) overcame 3 of 12 shooting in the first quarter to trail 37-29 at the half. Then Thomas took over, going 8 of 11 from the field and making all four of her field goals for 20 points. She had 12 points in the fourth quarter including 10 in row with two 3-point plays to finish three points shy of her career high. FSU shot 20 of 37 in the second half.
FSU’s last 6-0 start was five years ago.
Samantha Fitzgerald added 14 points for Samford.
POST-GAME NOTES:
• Shakayla Thomas moved up three spots in the FSU all-time scoring list following today’s performance. She is now sixth all-time with 1,511 career points, and is just eight points away from passing Jacinta Monroe for fifth.
• Thomas has now posted her second-highest scoring output of her career in consecutive games. On Friday, she registered 28 against Sacred Heart. On Sunday, she topped that total with 29. Her career high is 32 vs. Georgia Tech on Jan. 10, 2016.
• Other Thomas stats: Her 11th career game with double-digit field goals made (12), 40th career game as the leading scorer and her 10th game with 5+ made free throws.
• Ama Degbeon’s 11 points and 11 rebounds provided her second career double-double and her second straight game with double-figure points and rebounds. For the season, she has 21 offensive and 19 defensive rebounds.
• Degbeon’s three blocked shots are a career high.
• FSU ended the game with a flourish, scoring 30 points in the fourth quarter. FSU has now scored 30+ points in four different quarters this year.
• The Seminoles out-scored Samford 46-8 in the paint, and are now out-scoring opponents 260-98 inside this season.
• Sophomore Nausia Woolfolk’s 14 points are a career high. She shot 5-of-7 from the floor and added three steals.
• AJ Alix continued her streak of positive assist/turnover ratios, totaling five assists to just three turnovers.
• FSU shot a season-best 51.5 percent (35-of-68) from the floor. This included a 31-of-53 showing on two-point field goal attempts.
• The Seminoles have won 19 consecutive games against opponents from the state of Alabama. FSU has not lost to a school from Alabama since 2003.
