by By Kennedy Knisley, Sports Information Student Intern
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (seminoles.com) — Florida State came off a 15-day break in dominating fashion in a 105-73 victory over NC State at the Donald L. Tucker Center. The Seminoles shot 70.7 percent from the field (41-58), 66.7 percent from the 3-point line (12-18) and were a perfect from the free throw line (11-11) and scored more than 100 points against an ACC opponent for the fifth time since the 2000 season.
The Seminoles’ 70.7 percent field goal shooting percentage established a school record in an ACC game; their 66.7 percent mark from the 3-point line is tied for the second best long range shooting effort in an ACC game and their perfect night from the free throw line marked the third in in their conference history that a Florida State team finished perfect from the line on at least 10 attempts. Florida State also tied its school record for an ACC game with 57 points in the first half on its way to the largest margin of victory over NC State (+32 points) in the history of its series against the Wolfpack.
After a 15-day layoff, the Seminoles improved to 6-2 overall and 2-1 in the ACC while the Wolfpack moved to 6-4 overall and 2-3 in ACC play.
Senior RayQuan Evans (Crow Tribe) scored a game and career-high 24 points to lead four Seminoles in double figure scoring. He was followed by 19 points by senior M.J. Walker, a career-high 18 points from senior Nathanael Jack and 11 points from freshman Scottie Barnes. Evans also led the Seminoles with a career-high six rebounds in the first start of his Seminole career.
Florida State opened the scoring on a 3-point shot by Evans just 21 seconds into the game and continued its best team scoring night of the season from that point. The Seminoles led by four (15-11) at 15 minute mark, gained their first double digit lead (24-13) of the night at the 12:17 mark, led by 15 (30-15) at the 9:23 mark, upped their advantage to 25 (44-19) at the 4:36 mark and held a 25 point lead (57-32) at halftime.
The Seminoles’ 57 first half points tied their ACC record for points scored in a first half. The 57 points in the first half tied the school record for most points in the first half of an ACC game against Wake Forest on February 10, 1993.
In the first half, Florida State shot .714 percent from the field (20 of 28), .700 from the 3-point line (7-10) and were perfect from the free throw line (10 of 10). Coming into its game against the Wolfpack, Florida State averaged 36.2 points scored in the first half in its seven games of the season.
Florida State, which shot 70 percent from the field in the second half (21 of 30), led by 36 in the second half (105-69) and cruised to its most lopsided victory of the 2021 season. The Seminoles shot .625 percent from the 3-point line (five of eight) and made their only free throw attempt after halftime.
Walker finished the night with 19 points and four assists. He finished tied for the team assists with junior RaiQuan Gray and redshirt junior Anthony Polite with four assists each.
Walker was also a perfect four of four from the free throw line while the team was a perfect 11-11 from the free throw line. Walker is now shooting an ACC leading .925 percent from the line this season.
In his first career start out of 35 total appearances for the Seminoles, Evans was dominant on the court. In scoring his career of 24 points, he totaled 13 points at the half 11 in the second half. He went 9-for-11 from the field, two-of-two from the 3-point line and was a perfect four-for-four from the free throw line.
Jack contributed a career-high 18 points. He was a near perfect seven of eight from the field and four of five from deep. Jack capped off the Seminoles’ victory over the Wolfpack with back-to-back three point shots and put the Seminoles over the 100-point mark for the first time this season.
