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Florida State baskerball closes preseason with another statement win
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- Florida State baskerball closes preseason with another statement win
Luke Loucks had one request for Florida State fans before the Seminoles returned to the Donald L. Tucker Center for the first time this season. "Come help us do this thing." Florida State delivered once they arrived.
The Seminoles survived a furious LSU Tigers comeback Saturday afternoon, holding on for an 89-87 exhibition victory to close the preseason with wins over two SEC opponents. FSU followed its 82-71 victory over Auburn by beating an LSU team that entered Tallahassee 2-0 in exhibitions and had several players available for the first time.
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Shon Abaev led Florida State with 26 points and five assists, continuing an impressive preseason after scoring 15 against Auburn. Kam Taylor added 16 points and six rebounds, Sebastian Rancik finished with 13 points and five rebounds, and Elisèe Assui contributed 11 points and five boards.
FSU recovered from an early 8-0 LSU run and eventually took a 38-31 advantage into halftime. The Seminoles pushed the lead as high as 14 points in the second half before things became far more uncomfortable down the stretch. LSU erased the deficit and tied the game with 3:20 remaining, forcing Florida State to execute late after spending much of the afternoon in control.
The Seminoles made enough mistakes to give LSU one final chance to tie or win the game, including a flagrant foul in the closing moments. Anthony Robinson II answered by stealing the ensuing inbound pass, finally allowing FSU to escape with the two-point victory.
Even in defeat, LSU coach Will Wade came away impressed.
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"Give Florida State credit," Wade said afterward. "I thought they were awesome. They were much more physical than we were."
There is some history attached to that compliment. Wade was on the opposite sideline at the Tucker Center last January when his NC State team handed Loucks and the Seminoles a 113-69 loss, a 44-point defeat that became one of the defining moments of Loucks' first season. NC State set a program record for its largest margin of victory in an ACC road game that afternoon.
Nine months later, Loucks got a measure of revenge against Wade with an almost entirely rebuilt Florida State roster.
An exhibition victory will not count once the regular season begins, and Loucks will have plenty to address after watching a comfortable second-half lead disappear. Still, beating Auburn and LSU in consecutive tuneups provides FSU with considerably more encouraging evidence than the final records will ever show.
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The Seminoles were tested physically, handled another talented SEC roster and found a way to win when the game tightened late. For a team preparing to open Loucks' second season with expectations significantly higher than a year ago, that is a productive way to leave the preseason.
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This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: Florida State baskerball closes preseason with another statement win
