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Florida State tipped off the 2024-25 season with a 74-62 win over Northern Kentucky at the Tucker Center Monday night. Although it wasn’t the greatest competition, early-season momentum is always good, especially for a team that is breaking in many new pieces.
Sophomore forward Taylor Bol Bowen was the story of the night. Making his first start in garnet and gold, Bol Bowen wasted no time, setting a new career-high with 17 points to lead the Seminoles offensively alongside Jamir Watkins. Bol Bowen also led the team with six rebounds.
Jamir Watkins showed why FSU getting him back for 2024 was so crucial with a 17-point performance and adding four steals and four rebounds. Watkins has been a consistent offensive force for the Noles with 20 straight games scoring double-digits. Chandler Jackson also tacked on four steals as the Noles tallied 14 on the night.
FSU’s new lineup featured fresh faces including junior college transfer Malique Ewin, and South Dakota transfer Bostyn Holt. In typical Leonard Hamilton fashion, he rotated heavily using nearly his full arsenal, putting 11 players in the mix throughout the night. In a true team effort, everyone but Ewin found the scoresheet, while FSU’s bench delivered a strong 32-point contribution. Unfortunately, Ewin did not have the greatest debut in garnet and gold going 0-6 on FGs and 0-2 from the FT line.
The first half was a battle early on, with FSU trailing for a little over four minutes before catching fire with a 13-1 run that created breathing room. The Seminoles closed the half with a 43-31 lead, thanks in large part to Bol Bowen, who had already put up 15 points by halftime. The second half saw FSU extend its lead to as many as 17 points, maintaining control for the final 20 minutes without letting NKU close within single digits.
Collectively, FSU shot 44.4% (28-of-63) from the field but struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 4-of-22 (18.2%). Their free throw shooting was solid at 77.8% (14-of-18). Dominating in the paint with 44 points and adding 17 fast-break points, the ‘Noles made up for some of their shooting woes by capitalizing on NKU’s turnovers, scoring 22 points off 22 Norse giveaways.
Up next, the Seminoles travel to the Toyota Center in Houston to take on Rice in The Battleground 2K24 this Saturday at 7 p.m., a matchup set to be broadcast on ESPN+. Thanks for reading and Go Noles!
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