Florida State University men’s basketball returned to the win column Friday evening, securing an 84-60 victory over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at the Donald L. Tucker Center.
The win improves the Seminoles to a 3-1 record for the season, as noted by Florida State’s official team data.
Coming off a 81-72 loss to No. 1 Florida, the team responded with a commanding performance that included an opening 10-0 run.
Sebastian Rancik led the effort with 17 points and eight rebounds, while Kam Taylor added 14 points to the total.
Head coach Luke Loucks has set ambitious goals for his second season, expressing a desire to lead the program to the Final Four, according to Yahoo Sports.
The team demonstrated significant improvement on the glass, dominating the boards 58-25 against the Islanders.
This effort was a sharp turnaround from the team’s previous game, where they were outrebounded 41-29 by Florida, reported FSU Wire.
Despite the win, perimeter shooting remains a concern for the coaching staff.
The Seminoles struggled from beyond the arc, making only 2-of-21 attempts during the contest.
The team has now made only six of their last 42 three-point attempts, which the outlets reported as an alarming stretch for a team with high aspirations.
To compensate for the lack of outside shooting, the Seminoles relied heavily on aggressive play near the basket.
Florida State attempted 45 free throws, converting 36 of them, which provided a 27-point advantage at the charity stripe.
This physicality allowed the team to generate offense even when shots from the perimeter were not falling.
Balanced scoring was also a highlight, with four players reaching double figures including Anthony Robinson II and Alex Steen.
The Seminoles are scheduled to return to action this coming Tuesday against Ball State at the Donald L. Tucker Center.