Nov 9, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Rice Owls guard Kellen Amos (1) drives with the ball as Florida State Seminoles forward Taylor Bol Bowen (10) defends during the second half at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Jamir Watkins scored a game-high 30 points to lift Florida State to a 73-65 victory over Rice on Saturday night at the Mattress Firm Battleground 2k24 in Houston.
The Seminoles are 2-0 for the second straight season, never having trailed the Owls, although Rice (1-1) kept the margin within single digits for most of the contest. Florida State began to pull away with a 13-2 run that gave it a 68-53 lead with 2:30 left.
Malique Ewin had 11 points and seven rebounds for the Seminoles, who outscored the Owls 30-20 in the paint.
Watkins got Florida State’s offense going by scoring nine of the team’s first 11 points and finishing with six rebounds and three steals. He made 7 of 14 field goals and 14 of 22 from the free throw line, effectively attacking the rim.
Watkins helped seal the game down the stretch by making five consecutive free throws in the final minute and 47 seconds.
Alem Huseinovic led Rice with 14 points and was 4 of 10 from three-point range, while Trae Broadnax scored 10 points and grabbed six rebounds. Kellen Amos scored 12 points and made 4 of 8 shots, but was ejected for fouling out with 3:04 left in the game.
The Seminoles led 33-23 at halftime before the Owls opened the second half on a 9-0 run, with two 3-pointers from Huseinovic and one from Broadnax. Florida State responded with four points for a 37-32 lead, and Rice never got closer than three points the rest of the game.
The Seminoles prevented the Owls from taking the lead with a pesky defense, which turned 17 Rice turnovers into 23 points. Rice, meanwhile, managed just seven points off Florida State’s 13 turnovers.
Florida State outshot the Owls from 42.6 percent (23 of 54) to 35.8 percent (19 of 53) and had a 15-8 advantage in transition points.
The Seminoles will host Tarleton State on Tuesday, while Rice will host Louisiana-Monroe in Houston the same night.
–Field level media
