TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Gardner-Webb gave No. 21 Florida State a battle Monday night, but dropped a 72-59 decision to the Seminoles.
Florida State (5-1) closed the game on a 7-0 run over a stretch of 2:30, part of a larger 17-8 spurt that covered the game's final 6:55.
After Gardner-Webb (1-4) cut the lead to 54-53 on an
Anthony Selden three-pointer, Florida State began to exert its size and length more effectively. Anthony Polite scored four in a row to push the lead to 58-53 and, after a
Lance Terry bucket, RayQuan Evans beat the shot clock with a desperation three from 25 feet for a 61-55 edge.
Seven-footer Balsa Koprivica scored four in a row down low to get the lead to 65-57 and Gardner-Webb managed just two free throws in the final four minutes as the Seminoles finally created some breathing room.
Terry scored a game and career-high 23 points for Gardner-Webb and was the only Runnin' Bulldog in double figures in a game geared toward defense on both sides.
Terry scored 15 points in the first half as Gardner-Webb trailed just 31-28 at the break.
He made a pair of shots out of the locker room to key an early 9-4 spurt that saw Gardner-Webb take a 37-35 lead on
Ludovic Dufeal's three-pointer with 17:57 to play.
Florida State rallied and regained its lead, going up 48-39 with 13:51 to play, but
Sammy Itodo,
Mick Lynott and
Jaheam Cornwall each had big made baskets in a charge that saw Gardner-Webb trim the lead back to 50-47 by the under 12 media timeout.
The Seminoles used their size edge to protect the rim on several effective drives by Gardner-Webb guards in the second half and the Runnin' Bulldogs could not find their shot from deep down the stretch.
GWU made just 31.0 percent of its shots for the game (18-of-58) and only 9-of-33 from deep (27.3 percent). Florida State shot only 34.4 percent from the floor, but made up for its lack of production by making 24-of-32 free throws in the game – and owning a 53-30 edge on the backboards with eight blocked shots.
Polite (15 points) and Koprivica (14 points) each scored in double figures for the Seminoles. Polite added nine rebounds and Koprivica blocked two shots to go with eight boards.
Gardner-Webb will break for Christmas this week before getting into Big South play at Hampton on December 30 (2:00 pm) and December 31 (Noon).
