Jalen Watkins and Daren Green Jr. combined for 35 points as Florida State coasted past Central Michigan 94-67 in a Sunshine Slam preliminary matchup Monday night in Tallahassee, Fla.
Watkins scored 19 points in just 18 minutes and Green added 16 points as the Seminoles (2-0) shot a blistering 55.6 percent overall and 42.9 percent (12-for-28) from 3-point range. They forced the Chippewas (0-3) into a season-high 21 turnovers, leading to a 34-15 advantage in points off turnovers.
The Seminoles were whistled for 21 personal fouls, but the visitors failed to take much of an advantage, finishing only 17-for-31 from the free-throw line (54.8 percent).
Tulsa transfer Anthony Pritchard scored 16 points to lead Central Michigan in scoring for the third straight game. Brian Taylor added 15 and Paul McMillan IV had 12 for the Chippewas.
Josh Nickelberry (12), Baba Miller (11), Cameron Corhen (10), and Cam’Ron Fletcher (10) also wound up in double figures for Florida State.
The Seminoles bumped a 20-point halftime lead up to 56-30 in the first two minutes of the second half and were up 63-35 a few minutes later. The Chippewas sliced the gap to 70-51 with under 11 minutes to go, but an 8-0 spurt got the Seminoles back up to 78-51 two minutes later.
The closest Central Michigan got after that was 78-55. Florida State’s biggest lead was 29 points, 86-57, with 4:44 left.
The Seminoles jumped in front 7-0 to start the game and owned a double-digit cushion at 13-3 less than four minutes into the game. They upped the gap to 27-9 before the Chippewas took advantage of four Florida State turnovers for a 7-0 run that cut their deficit to 11 at the 8:48 mark.
However, the Seminoles increased the lead to 17 points over the next six minutes and went to the locker room up 50-30.
Both teams will continue play in the Sunshine Slam event on Nov. 20 in Daytona Beach with the Seminoles taking on UNLV and the Chippewas facing Siena. Both have games prior to that, with the Chippewas playing South Florida on Wednesday night in Tampa and the Seminoles at Florida on Friday night.
–Field Level Media