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Hatters Make Game Run, Fall 79-66 At FSU

Men's Basketball Stetson University

Hatters Make Game Run, Fall 79-66 At FSU

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Stetson Hatters knew going into Wednesday night's game at No. 24 Florida State that they were going to face a major size disadvantage against the Seminoles.

The Hatters tried to take away FSU's height advantage by shooting the ball from the perimeter. The plan was good enough to keep Stetson close but, in the end, it was the inside domination of the Seminoles that led Florida State to a 79-66 victory at the Leon County Civic Center in front of 6,424 fans.

“I am proud of the effort our guys gave out there tonight,” Stetson coach Casey Alexander said. “This game was a perfect example of why every possession matters because we gave away some possessions early in the game that put us into a big hole.

“The fact that we were able to dig our way out of that hole, shows what we are capable of doing. We just have to play with that intensity for 40 minutes. I am looking forward to seeing that on Saturday against Saint Leo.”

The loss for Stetson (2-1) snapped the Hatters's modest two-game season-opening win streak while FSU improved to 3-0 on the young season. It was the Seminoles' 17th consecutive victory over Stetson, dating back to 1975, and was FSU's 25th consecutive non-conference victory over an in-state opponent.

The Hatters took aim from outside, and hit 10 of their 33 three-point attempts in the game, but the Seminoles dominated in the paint, outscoring Stetson 48-26 in the lane.

Stetson had four players score in double figures in the game, led by 14 points from Joel Naburgs, who was just two-of-10 from three-point range. Chris Perez and J.R. Weston finished with 11 points each while Aaron Graham had 10.

FSU got a game-high 18 points from Okaro White, while his front-court mate Bernard James posted a double-double with 15 points and 11 boards. Deividas Dulkys came off the bench for the Seminoles to hit all four of his three-point attempts, the only three-pointers of the game for FSU, and finished with 16 points.

The Hatters were on the verge of letting the game get away from them in the first half, as FSU had built a 33-14 lead with 6:04 left in the half on the strength of a 16-3 run.

Stetson wasn't quite ready to give up so easily, however, and answered with a 16-0 run of their own. The Hatters got three-pointers from Graham, two from J.R. Weston, one from Jermol Paul and layups from Naburgs and Graham to cut the FSU lead to 33-30 with 2:22 left in the half.

FSU broke the streak with a layup from James, followed by a Stetson turnover and a fast-break layup from Dulkys, who followed with a three to push the FSU lead back to 40-31. Naburgs hit a three to end the Seminoles' run before a James dunk with 32 seconds left capped the first half.

Despite suffering from a severe height disadvantage, the Hatters held their own on the boards in the first half, trailing FSU just 21-18. Stetson also did a better job of protecting the ball, committing just 10 turnovers.

At the end of the night, the Hatters held their own on the boards, getting out-rebounded just 36-34, and turnovers were even at 17 each.

The Hatters will return to the Edmunds Center on Saturday afternoon for a showdown with Saint Leo. The game is set for a 3 p.m. start.
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Players Mentioned

J.R. Weston

#33 J.R. Weston

G
6' 5"
Freshman
Aaron Graham

#20 Aaron Graham

G
6' 4"
Freshman
Joel Naburgs

#12 Joel Naburgs

G
6' 3"
Freshman
Jermol Paul

#21 Jermol Paul

F
6' 5"
Redshirt Sophomore
Chris Perez

#3 Chris Perez

G
6' 4"
Redshirt Sophomore

Players Mentioned

J.R. Weston

#33 J.R. Weston

6' 5"
Freshman
G
Aaron Graham

#20 Aaron Graham

6' 4"
Freshman
G
Joel Naburgs

#12 Joel Naburgs

6' 3"
Freshman
G
Jermol Paul

#21 Jermol Paul

6' 5"
Redshirt Sophomore
F
Chris Perez

#3 Chris Perez

6' 4"
Redshirt Sophomore
G