DURHAM, N.C. (Seminoles.com) – Florida State Women’s Basketball begins a key three-game stretch on the road when it battles Duke on Thursday night at 6 p.m. at Cameron Indoor Stadium on ACC Network Extra.
The Blue Devils (15-7, 6-6) sit just above the Seminoles (11-10, 5-6) in the conference, being tied for seventh with Boston College while FSU is tied with Miami for ninth. FSU still has games left this season against third-place Georgia Tech (home), sixth-place UNC (home), Duke on Thursday, Boston College (home) and Miami (road) in addition to other opponents.
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For the second straight week, the Seminoles head to The Triangle facing an opponent that they did not play in 2020-21. Last week, FSU played at No. 3 NC State having not faced the Wolfpack the year prior due to COVID-19 protocols. FSU and Duke last faced on Feb. 16, 2020, in a close 66-64 game won by the Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Two of the top freshmen point guards in the league are on display on Thursday night. Duke’s Shayeann Day-Wilson has earned ACC Freshman of the Week three times this season and leads all freshmen in the league with 13.1 points and 3.5 assists. FSU’s O’Mariah Gordon is second in the conference among freshmen with 2.8 assists per game and averages 7.3 points while shooting 49.2 percent from the floor.
For the eighth straight season, the Seminoles recorded at least one AP Top 25 win as they knocked off No. 20 Notre Dame last game at home, 70-65. Balanced scoring highlighted the win, with four players in double figures in Valencia Myers (14), Sara Bejedi (12), Gordon (11) and Morgan Jones (10). The win was Head Coach Sue Semrau’s 51st ranked victory. Prior to her arrival in 1997, FSU had just 13 ranked wins.
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Jones is the only guard to rank in the Top 7 in ACC play in scoring (7th), field goal percentage (6th), free throw percentage (6th) and blocked shots (7th). Virginia Tech center Elizabeth Kitley is the only other player who joins her in all four categories.
FSU has battled through a season with 11 different lineup combinations and six player injuries that have resulted in a combined 18 games missed. Nonetheless, the Noles have climbed to 53rd in the NET rankings, with many more opportunities to improve that number based on a tough schedule ahead as well as the team returning to full health. Duke is 39th in the latest NET.
The Seminoles are searching for their fifth win at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Overall, FSU is 4-18 all-time on the road against Duke.
In ACC play, the Seminoles are out-scoring opponents 212-165 in the third quarter. Against Notre Dame last game, FSU out-scored the Irish 22-9 in the third quarter.
The Seminoles have five games this season where they’ve shot 50 percent or better from the floor, including three in the ACC vs. Wake Forest (55 percent), Clemson (52.6 percent) and Notre Dame (51 percent). FSU ranks 42nd nationally with a 44.3 field goal percentage.
Following Thursday’s game, FSU has a matchup at Miami on Sunday at Noon on the ACC Network. The Seminoles finish the road swing with a game at Syracuse on Tuesday, Feb. 15, at 6 p.m. on ACC Network Extra.