CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (seminoles.com) — A double-double performance from junior Morgan Jones helped the Florida State women’s basketball team (6-4, 5-4) in their third straight road game to beat North Carolina (8-8, 3-8), 61-51, on Thursday evening at Carmichael Arena.
The win marked the Seminoles sixth straight win over North Carolina in a streak that dates back to a 94-63 home win on Feb. 14, 2016. It is also Florida State’s first victory on the road since winning at Virginia Tech earlier this season.
“I’m just so proud of what we were able to do tonight,” FSU interim head coach Brooke Wyckoff said. “On the road again after a two-game skid and without Kourtney Weber; the rest of our players found a way to gut this one out.”
Jones scored 16 points and brought down 10 rebounds in her stellar game from tonight. It was her second double-double performance of the season with her first coming against Clemson on Jan. 21.
Redshirt junior Bianca Jackson led the team with 17 points and shot a perfect 6-6 from the free throw line. She also recorded three rebounds, three steals, and two blocks in the victory.
Sophomore Sammie Puisis finished one rebound shy from a double-double herself, scoring 10 points and pulling down nine rebounds. She also hit her 70th career three-pointer in her 41st game played – making her second fastest in school history to reach the mark. She fell only five games short of achieving the all-time record set by Imani Wright (36 games).
Junior Valencia Myers totaled six points to go along with five rebounds and two blocks against the Tar Heels. Myers’ two blocks made her the ninth Seminole to record over 100 career blocks in program history.
Redshirt junior Sayawni Lassiter started her first game of the season in place of injured Weber and totaled six points and five rebounds.
“It was a huge point of emphasis for us, and it was not going to be an easy test with their size and physicality,” Wyckoff said about the importance of rebounding in this game. “I’m really proud of the effort that they showed tonight.”
Despite being outscored from the bench by the Tar Heels, 32-6, FSU was able to win the turnover battle. The Seminoles committed only six turnovers as compared to UNC’s 10 turnovers. The Seminoles also lead in points scored in the paint, 28-24, and in free throw percentage, 69.6%-46.7%.
Florida State held UNC to seven points in the first period — the fewest points they’ve held a team defensively in any quarter this season. Jones scored five of the Noles’ 13 points in the period and took a six-point lead going into the second quarter.
FSU turned defensive stops into points and built a double-digit lead against in defeating the Tar Heels. The Noles didn’t commit any turnovers in the second quarter and went into the half with a 29-18 lead over the Tar Heels.
The Seminoles started the third quarter on fire with a 9-0 run out of the break to give them a 20-point lead. The Tar Heels responded late in the quarter with a 9-0 run of their own to narrow the deficit back down to 13 points going into the final period.
In the fourth quarter, UNC brought the score back within single-digits with just over two minutes remaining. Free throws late in the game helped put the game away for the Seminoles and give them their second road win of the season.
