Florida State overcame an early 10-point deficit to pull away from Manhattan for an 81-66 victory in the 2014-15 season-opener for both teams.
The Seminoles trailed 23-13 early, but used a 34-11 run that spanned about 10 minutes of game time into the early parts of the second half to take control of the game. The Jaspers pulled to within five with just over nine minutes to play, but Florida State answered with a 12-3 run to essentially put the contest away.
It was a balanced scoring effort for the Seminoles as Aaron Thomas paced FSU with 14 points. Kiel Turrpin and Jarquez Smith each added 13 points while Montay Brandon scored 12 on a perfect 4-for-4 from the field. Guards Devon Bookert and Robbie Berwick each finished with 11 points.
Smith and freshman Phil Cofer each grabbed six rebounds to lead the Seminoles. Manhattan was led by Shane Richards, who scored a game-high 17 points, but on just 4-of-16 shooting.
The Seminoles (1-0) will have a couple of days off before hosting Northeastern on Tuesday night. Manhattan (0-1) will visit UMASS in a contest that tips off late Tuesday morning.
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