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Colorado State had a much improved start and battled throughout in a 90-73 loss to Florida State in its final Montego Bay game of the 2017 Jamaica Classic, Nov. 19. With the loss, the Rams fall to 2-2 on the year, while the Seminoles improved to 3-0.
Down 11 at the halftime break at 47-36, the Rams opened the final 20 minutes on a 14-1 run to take a brief 50-48 lead. However the Seminoles scored the next eight points to take a lead they would never relinquish. CSU cut it to two at 60-58 with 10:43 to play, but FSU put together an 11-2 run over the next 2:26 to extend it back to a 71-60 advantage that the eventual champions would never relinquish.
“Our issue in a lot of situations is our youth and being receptive to coaching,” head coach Larry Eustachy said after the game. “We are having to adjust to being without GIan [Clavell] and Emmanuel [Omogbo] this year and guys are having to learn those roles, and sometimes that is a challenge. I was encouraged that we were fighting throughout the game, especially coming out and starting so strong in the second half. We just have to eliminate the large amount of turnovers and play with consistent intensity on both ends of the floor to make the improvements we need to during the season.”
Florida State scored the first five points of the game, but CSU had an answer, eventually taking a lead at 10-7 five minutes into the game. The Seminoles responded with a surge and eventually led at 27-18 with 7:12 to go in the first half and maintained most of that lead before entering the break with the 11-point lead.
Colorado State finished at 43.3 percent (26-of-60) from the floor and 37.5 percent (9-of-24) behind the arc, but FSU was up to the challenge, going 51.6 percent (32-of-62) on field goal attempts and 39.1 percent (9-of-23) on three pointers. CSU did win the battle of the boards, 37-34, but the Seminoles outscored the Rams 14-6 on second-chance points. Florida State forced 22 turnovers while only giving up 14.
The Rams were led by junior guard Prentiss Nixon with 22 points, four rebounds and four assists, including a career-high five three pointers. Redshirt-sophomore Lorenzo Jenkins and senior guard Che Bob each added 14, with Jenkins getting his season high on 5-of-7 field goals, including four threes. Florida State was led by MJ Walker off the bench with 22, while Terance Mann had 20.
Colorado State will continue an eight-day road trip with its concluding game, traveling to Las Cruces to take on New Mexico State on Wednesday, Nov. 22 at 7 p.m. MT.