TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Seminoles.com) — The Florida State Women’s Basketball team had one of their most dominant performances of the season against Virginia on Sunday, winning 62-37 at the Donald L. Tucker Center.
“Our defensive effort, especially in the third quarter, helped us to turn it into some offense,” FSU Head Coach Sue Semrau said. “I didn’t like our intensity to start the ball game, they scored 11 on us in the first quarter and we held them to just 10 the next couple of quarters total, which gave us a chance to play a lot of people in the fourth. Any win is a great win in the ACC.”
The Cavaliers (3-15, 0-8) were held in check all afternoon, scoring just 37 points to mark a season low by an ACC opponent vs. FSU. The Seminoles forced a season-high 25 turnovers by Virginia, generated 25 points off those turnovers. FSU also dominated the paint, winning 34-6 inside.
The 11 made field goals by UVA also ties an opponent season low this season, tying Charleston Southern.
Senior guard Morgan Jones led the Seminoles in scoring, scoring 16 points, grabbing seven boards, blocking three shots, and adding two steals. It was Jones’ 16th double-figure scoring game of the year.
Freshman forward Makayla Timpson added nine points and grabbed five offensive rebounds in 18:17. She was a big part of Florida State picking up its intensity in the second half.
“In the locker room, we got an intense talk from Coach Brooke (Wyckoff), but she fired us up. It opened our eyes and made us pick it up in the second half,” Timpson said about FSU’s halftime speech. “We wanted to win for her, and we wanted to win for Coach Sue.”
Virginia kept the first quarter close as they were only down three to the Seminoles after one, 14-11. After that quarter, the Seminoles picked things up and out-scored the Cavaliers, 48-26, the rest of the way.
FSU got more balanced scoring, including seniors Valencia Myers and Bianca Jackson scoring eight points apiece for the Garnet and Gold. Myers added eight rebounds and three assists.
The Seminoles enter a tough stretch of upcoming games, as they play in Raleigh, N.C., against No. 3 NC State on Thursday night at 6 p.m. on the ACC Network. FSU’s next home game is on Sunday, Feb. 6, vs. No. 20 Notre Dame at 2 p.m. on the ACC Network.
