ATLANTA (Nov. 22) – Tenth-ranked Florida State held off scrappy Georgia State, 66-53, Sunday afternoon as the Panthers' second-half rally made it closer than the final score might indicate.
Florida State (4-0) won its 12th straight road game, but Georgia State (1-1) didn't go down without a fight. The host Panthers made a second-half rally to close within five points twice, the last at 47-42 with 11:11 on the clock. Georgia State was still battling at 53-46 with 7:56 just after the Seminoles All-America 6-foot-5 post player Jacinta Monroe went down with a knee injury at 8:28.
The physical game hampered Georgia State's press and ability to drive on offense and saw two starters foul out (Danyiell McKeller and Crystal Johnson) and two more end with four (Chan Harris and Angelique Burtts).
Georgia State's rally saw them shoot 60.9 percent in the second half and outscore Florida State in the second half, 36-34. But, the host Panthers had dug a big hole by shooting just 24 percent in the first half as FSU took a 32-17 lead into halftime.
McKeller paced Georgia State with 21 points, five rebounds and three steals, while guard Brittany Graham chipped in with 10 points and three steals. Chan Harris and Shay Rawls each had eight rebounds to lead that category.
Florida State got 14 points and four rebounds from Monroe and 13 points and seven rebounds from forward Alysha Harvin. Harvin was particularly important when she scored six quick points right after Monroe's injury.
“I liked how the team fought today, even when they got down,” Coach Lea Henry said. “We gave ourselves a chance to win today, despite all the foul troubles. I had told the team before the game that three things could happen: we could win, we could battle hard to the finish and be competitive or we could lose badly. I said two of those three would be really good for us. And, we did battle hard to the finish, so I think we can be excited about the long season ahead. Florida State is a top 10 team with a great coach and great athletes and they earned the win today.”
In the first five minutes of the game, FSU held a 9-7 lead. But, a trio of treys, plus four points from Monroe, sparked a huge 16-0 run that made it 25-7 with 8:11 in the first half. The visitors held a 32-17 halftime lead and Coach Henry's third scenario was starting to look likely.
Through the first five minutes of the second half, it was still 44-28 with 15:16, but then Georgia State and Danyiell McKeller really went to work. The Panthers went on an 8-0 run to close to 44-36 with 13:55. After a Monroe basket for FSU, State grew that run to 13-2 as Graham hit a back door lay-up and then a trey to make it 46-41 at 11:48 and the game was back on.
But, Harris and McKeller each had four fouls by this point and Johnson and Burtts were playing with three fouls.
Brevard and Monroe scored down low to grow the lead to 11 at 53-42 at 9:15, but Georgia State answered back with a jumper, followed by a pair of free throws from McKeller made it 53-46 with 7:56. Four more free throws by Florida State moved the lead back into double figures and the visitors held a 57-47 advantage with 3:47 left.
The taller Seminoles held just a 36-32 rebound advantage.
“We rushed way too much in the first half and just seemed too eager,” Henry said. “We settled down, ran our offense, played some good defense, and were much more patient and confident in the second half. I think we learned if we are patient and still give this kind of effort, good things can happen down the road.”
Georgia State stays in town over Thanksgiving to host its own tournament on Friday and Saturday at the Sports Arena with Murray State at 2 p.m., followed by Troy and Morgan State at 4 p.m. on Friday.
NOTEBOOK: McKeller has started the season with back-to-back 20-point games after 22 at KSU and 21 today for her 8th game of 20 or more points at Georgia State...It is her 39th career double-figure game...The Panthers' defense held FSU to 66 points, well below their 82 season average after a 101-point bombing of Stetson on Friday...The Panthers had 9 steals and forced 16 FSU turnovers...Graham's 10-point day was her 6th double-figure game at State...The Panthers played this game without starter Jylisa Williams and sixth-man Traci Haltiwanger as neither dressed out today...The tall and aggressive Seminoles scored 30 of their 66 points in the paint (45% of offense), but knocked down 6-of-14 three's for a season high...Georgia State left some points at the free throw line today, making just 10-of-20 for the game.
