Florida State throttles Winthrop to close nonconference play

Jamir Watkins scored 23 points and Malique Ewin put up 21 to lead host Florida State to an 82-64 win over Winthrop Tuesday night in Tallahassee, Fla.

Ewin added 15 rebounds for the Seminoles (9-3). Chandler Jackson scored 14 points and Taylor Bol Bowen finished with 13 points and 12 rebounds.

Florida State made 31 of 60 shot attempts for the game (51.7 percent) and crushed Winthrop in rebounding, 49-31.

Bryce Baker's 18 points and 17 from Nick Johnson led the Eagles (9-4). Baker had 15 second-half points and Johnson 13, but Winthrop's five-game winning streak came to an end.

The Seminoles led by as many as 25 points in the second half, and Winthrop got only as close as 14, at 59-45 on a 3-pointer from Paul Jones III with 10:37 to play.

But back-to-back 3-pointers from Watkins made it 74-49 Florida State. Johnson scored the first eight points of the half for the Eagles and Baker made five 3-pointers, but they had already dug themselves too deep a hole from which to come back.

Florida State was in control from about the midway point of the first half. A 10-2 run with six points from Ewin gave the Seminoles a 26-17 lead with 6:30 to play.

The Eagles got as close as six points down after that, but Florida State outscored Winthrop 15-3 over a 3:40 stretch to build a 41-23 lead with 2:09 to go.

Watkins drew a technical foul just 2:15 into the game, but he and Ewin scored 13 points apiece in the first half as Florida State took a 45-27 lead into halftime.

Six-foot-10 big man Bowen added nine first-half points, including a transition 3-pointer and a dunk on consecutive offensive possessions. The Seminoles enjoyed 60 percent field goal shooting (18 of 30) while Winthrop was a frigid 27.3 percent (9 for 33).

The Eagles at one point substituted all five players.

Florida State's nonconference season came to an end, and the Seminoles open ACC play on Dec. 21 against Louisville.

--Field Level Media