WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (seminoles.com) — Florida State Women’s Basketball was unable to hold onto a 13-point lead in the fourth quarter and ultimately fell at Wake Forest, 75-69, in overtime on Thursday night at LJVM Coliseum in Winston-Salem, N.C.
With the Seminoles (6-6, 0-2) leading 62-49 with 7:33 remaining in the game, Wake Forest used a 15-2 closing stretch to take the game in overtime. From there, the Demon Deacons (11-2, 1-1) finished off the game by out-scoring FSU in the extra period, 11-5.
“Our turnovers really hurt us down the stretch,” FSU Head Coach Sue Semrau said. “We had trouble finding scoring in the block.”
Needed offense late in the game came from freshman point guard O’Mariah Gordon, who had 13 points, four assists, and showed good command of the offense in another start.
“O’Mariah was great,” Semrau said. “She gave us everything she had. She grew up tonight. I’m proud of all of their fight. It’s been a tough week. We led for three quarters and had a chance to win at the end but missed that bunny. We’ve been dealt a hand and we’ll continue to fight.”
Bianca Jackson led the Seminoles with 16 points, while freshman Makayla Timpson came off the bench to score 11 points with six rebounds.
Erin Howard recorded her first double-double at FSU with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Jewel Spear led all scorers with 20 points for Wake Forest on 6-of-20 shooting.
Florida State shot 58 percent in the first half and built a 40-29 lead heading into the locker room. Howard proved to be an enormous boost, leading FSU with 10 points and five rebounds at the intermission. Jackson added nine points in the first 20 minutes.
FSU’s defense fared well to start the game, holding the Demon Deacons to 39 percent shooting at the break. Both teams wound up shooting 40 percent from the floor.
Up next, FSU travels to Syracuse for a Sunday matchup at 2 p.m. on ACC Network Extra.
