FSU basketball impressive in season opening win over Northern Kentucky

FSU basketball got its 2024 season off to a great start with a 74-62 win over the Northern Kentucky Norse on Monday night. The Noles went into the game at -8.5 betting favorites and covered the spread for most of the game after building a 43-31 halftime lead.

Jamir Watkins picked up where he left off last season as the team's leading scorer. He finished the game with 17 points. However, Taylor Bol Bowen's 17 points was a coming-out party after averaging about three points per game last year. Jerry Deng had nine points with some great shooting behind the arc. Daquan Davis had eight and Alier Maluk had five points.

FSU shot the ball decently at 45.2 percent, considering Northern Kentucky plays zone defense that can be tough to score against. The Noles dominated the paint and shot the ball well from the free-throw line. FSU was 14 of 18 from the charity stripe.

They were only 4 of 21 from the three-point line but did most of their damage on the defensive end. The Noles had 14 steals, five blocks, and forced 22 turnovers. FSU only had 12 turnovers, which is a big win against a pesky defense that thrives on deflections and forcing turnovers.

It was a game that saw FSU control the game, keeping Northern Kentucky at a double-digit deficit for nearly all of the second half after building the 12-point halftime lead. The Noles will play again Saturday when they host the Rice Owls at 7 p.m.