FSU basketball (9-3, 0-1 ACC) easily rolled past the Winthrop Eagles 82-64 on Tuesday night for their second consecutive win. The Noles have already matched their season total for wins from two years ago and are already halfway past their win total from last year.
FSU went into the matchup as -11.5 betting favorites and covered that spread by halftime with a 45-27 lead. FSU shot 50 percent overall and used its defense for offense, creating 15 turnovers, eight steals, and eight blocks. They also shot 35 percent from the three-point line and made 13-17 free throws.
Jamir Watkins led the scoring with 23 points. However, Malique Ewin and Taylor Bol Bowen had double-doubles. Ewin had 21 points and 15 rebounds, and Bol Bowen had 13 and 13 rebounds. An astounding 12 of their 28 rebounds were on the offensive glass.
FSU had 20 turnovers, which is way too many, but their strong defensive performance allowed them to overcome the miscues. FSU held Winthrop to 29 percent shooting overall and 25 percent (9 of 36) from the three-point line.
Parting Thoughts
FSU has beaten a lot of bad teams and come up just short against three solid teams. They will enter ACC play for good when they host the Louisville Cardinals on Saturday afternoon in their final contest in 2024. They'll play road games against Miami and Clemson to open 2025. The ACC isn't the league it used to be, and FSU should have a good shot to finish above .500 in the league.