Written by Adrian Beecher
Orlando, FL - Dwayne Bacon's 25 points along with Jonathan Isaac's double-double led the 3rd seeded FSU Seminoles to an 86-80 victory over the 14th seeded Florida Gulf Coast in round one of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. Things started off fast and went back and forth for most of the game, but the Noles' held the advantage throughout the second half and were able to hold off a late comeback attempt by the Eagles. Here's how it all went down.
FGCU won the tipoff, but Michael Ojo quickly stole the ball and dunked it down at the other end for FSU to put the Noles on the board first. Then its was “Dunk City” getting underway for FGCU with Demetris Morant slamming it down for the 2-2 tie.
This back and forth affair went on for the first 3 minutes of the ball game, and with 17:04 left in the 1st half it was 8-7 FSU on top. Then the Noles’ were able to get to the free throw line multiple times and hit a jumper to take a 5 point lead with 16:12 left to play. The Eagles were able to end the run with a layup from Brandon Goodwin.
After that, FSU gave themselves a little breathing room taking an 18-11 lead with just 11:17 left in the half. FGCU’s Zach Johnson then hit a triple to make it 18-14. After a quick bucket from the Noles’, it was a triple from FGCU’s Goodwin to make it 20-17 with FSU on top with 9:56 left in the half.
Then an 8-2 run by the Noles’ made it 28-19 as Michael Ojo slammed it home for the Seminoles to cap the run. After that, it was the Eagles turn to go on a run, a 10-0 run at that to take a 29-28 lead with just 3:58 left to play in the 1st half. After the 4-minute media timeout, the Eagles continued adding another bucket to make it 31-28.
FSU’s scoring drought lasted over 5 minutes and was ended on a jumper by Dwayne Bacon. Then the Noles’ added another bucket to start the back and forth basket exchanges with FGCU. With 1:13 left to play in the half it was all tied up at 36. The Noles' would tack on the last 4 points of the half, taking a 40-36 lead into the locker-room.
FSU started the second half with the basket, but it was the Eagles getting the first bucket of the half with a layup from Marc-Eddy Norelia. Then it was a layup and one coming from Terance Mann to put the Noles’ up 43-38 with 18:57 left in the half. That was just a start to the 7-2 run by the Noles’ that forced FGCU to take a timeout with 18:03 left in the game, trailing 47-40.
The timeout slowed things down a bit, but the Noles’ kept the pressure on FGCU. With less than 16 minutes to play, FSU had extended their lead to 9 points at 53-44. After the Noles’ had pushed their lead to 10 with 15:31 left to play, both teams started to go back and forth against as the Eagles tried as they might to get back into this one.
After 5 minutes of fighting back, FGCU was able to cut the Noles’ lead to just 4 points with 10:47 left to play. FSU put it back to 6 with a jumper from Bacon. After the Eagles cut it back to just four, the Noles’ once again took control. It was a 7-0 run to make it 71-60 with just 8 minutes left to play as Jonathan Isaac slammed in a dunk.
FGCU’s Zach Johnson then hit a triple with 6:45 left on the clock to make it just and 8-point game. After that the Noles’ again pushed their lead up, this time to 12 points. Moreover, the uphill battle once again began for FGCU with just 2:28 left to play.
The Eagles were able to cut the FSU lead to just 7 points with 1:03 left to play. However it was a little too late as the free throw game started and FSU, despite shooting just 60% from the line earlier in the game, sank them when they counted. As the final buzzer, it was an 86-80 win for FSU as they move on to the second round where they will face Xavier on Saturday in Orlando at the Amway Center for a chance to play in the Sweet Sixteen.
FGCU won the tipoff, but Michael Ojo quickly stole the ball and dunked it down at the other end for FSU to put the Noles on the board first. Then its was “Dunk City” getting underway for FGCU with Demetris Morant slamming it down for the 2-2 tie.
This back and forth affair went on for the first 3 minutes of the ball game, and with 17:04 left in the 1st half it was 8-7 FSU on top. Then the Noles’ were able to get to the free throw line multiple times and hit a jumper to take a 5 point lead with 16:12 left to play. The Eagles were able to end the run with a layup from Brandon Goodwin.
After that, FSU gave themselves a little breathing room taking an 18-11 lead with just 11:17 left in the half. FGCU’s Zach Johnson then hit a triple to make it 18-14. After a quick bucket from the Noles’, it was a triple from FGCU’s Goodwin to make it 20-17 with FSU on top with 9:56 left in the half.
Then an 8-2 run by the Noles’ made it 28-19 as Michael Ojo slammed it home for the Seminoles to cap the run. After that, it was the Eagles turn to go on a run, a 10-0 run at that to take a 29-28 lead with just 3:58 left to play in the 1st half. After the 4-minute media timeout, the Eagles continued adding another bucket to make it 31-28.
FSU’s scoring drought lasted over 5 minutes and was ended on a jumper by Dwayne Bacon. Then the Noles’ added another bucket to start the back and forth basket exchanges with FGCU. With 1:13 left to play in the half it was all tied up at 36. The Noles' would tack on the last 4 points of the half, taking a 40-36 lead into the locker-room.
FSU started the second half with the basket, but it was the Eagles getting the first bucket of the half with a layup from Marc-Eddy Norelia. Then it was a layup and one coming from Terance Mann to put the Noles’ up 43-38 with 18:57 left in the half. That was just a start to the 7-2 run by the Noles’ that forced FGCU to take a timeout with 18:03 left in the game, trailing 47-40.
The timeout slowed things down a bit, but the Noles’ kept the pressure on FGCU. With less than 16 minutes to play, FSU had extended their lead to 9 points at 53-44. After the Noles’ had pushed their lead to 10 with 15:31 left to play, both teams started to go back and forth against as the Eagles tried as they might to get back into this one.
After 5 minutes of fighting back, FGCU was able to cut the Noles’ lead to just 4 points with 10:47 left to play. FSU put it back to 6 with a jumper from Bacon. After the Eagles cut it back to just four, the Noles’ once again took control. It was a 7-0 run to make it 71-60 with just 8 minutes left to play as Jonathan Isaac slammed in a dunk.
FGCU’s Zach Johnson then hit a triple with 6:45 left on the clock to make it just and 8-point game. After that the Noles’ again pushed their lead up, this time to 12 points. Moreover, the uphill battle once again began for FGCU with just 2:28 left to play.
The Eagles were able to cut the FSU lead to just 7 points with 1:03 left to play. However it was a little too late as the free throw game started and FSU, despite shooting just 60% from the line earlier in the game, sank them when they counted. As the final buzzer, it was an 86-80 win for FSU as they move on to the second round where they will face Xavier on Saturday in Orlando at the Amway Center for a chance to play in the Sweet Sixteen.