Florida State’s Jamir Watkins totaled game highs of 22 points and 11 rebounds, Chandler Jackson scored a career-high 19 points and the Seminoles clipped Boston College 84-76 on Tuesday night in Tallahassee, Fla.
Leading the Seminoles (14-12, 8-7 Atlantic Coast Conference) in points and rebounds and tied for the team lead in assists this season, Watkins made 7 of 10 shots, 3 of 4 from deep and all five free throws. His rebound total tied a career best.
Jalen Warley (five assists) and Cameron Corhen had 13 points apiece as Florida State broke its three-game losing streak by sweeping the two-game season series with Boston College.
Florida State played without top 3-point shooter Darin Green Jr., who was nursing an injured shoulder.
The Seminoles, who shot 54.9 percent (28 of 51) from the field, turned up the defensive pressure in the second half and forced 16 total turnovers that led to 21 points for the game.
For the Eagles (15-11, 6-9), Jaeden Zackery scored 19 points and Quinten Post had 15 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two blocks. Mason Madsen and Devin McGlockton had 14 and 13 points, respectively, as Boston College shot 51.9 percent overall (28 of 54).
In their second meeting in exactly two weeks, both teams were hot from the start, particularly the visitors.
Madsen, Zackery and McGlockton made their team’s first five field-goal attempts, including a 3-for-3 stretch from deep, as Boston College led 13-10 at 16:21 of the first half.
The blistering start tapered off, but the Eagles managed their biggest lead at 26-21 after Zackery banged home his second trey at 10:12.
However, the Seminoles battled back with a 9-0 run in less than three minutes to take their biggest advantage at the time, 30-26.
In the high-scoring first half’s final minute, the squads traded baskets, as Madsen hit a transition deep shot, Warley completed a traditional three-point play and Claudell Harris Jr. made a corner jumper to leave the game tied 43-all at the break.
The Eagles made 15 of 26 (57.7 percent) first-half shots, including a 6-for-11 output from deep. Florida State countered by going 16 of 29 (55.2 percent) from the floor but missed five of its 13 free throws.
In the second half, neither team led by more than three points over the first 10-plus minutes of play until Josh Nickelberry’s long ball and Warley’s second three-point play put the Seminoles up 68-61 at 9:11.
Corhen’s bucket finished a 10-0 run, and Florida State was never threatened from then on.
–Field Level Media
