Florida State University Athletics
Florida State
LSU
10/24/2026 3:46:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Florida State defeated LSU 89-87 in the Tucker Center to close out exhibition play
TALLAHASSEE -- The Florida State men's basketball team defeated LSU 89-87 on Saturday in its second and final exhibition game of the season at the Donald L. Tucker Center.
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The Seminoles' effort on both ends of the floor made the difference as they held an advantage in both second chance points and points off turnovers. Florida State forced the Tigers into 11 turnovers which turned into 17 Florida State points. The Seminoles also outrebounded LSU 42-37, which included 13 offensive rebounds that led to 19 second chance points.
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Sophomore Shon Abaev led all scorers with 26 points and added five assists and two steals to his performance. Abaev made five 3-point shots, finishing the game 5-of-8 from behind the arc.
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LSU opened the game on an 8-0 run. After freshman Marcis Ponder got the Seminoles started with a tip-in layup, Florida State went on a 17-5 run, capped by a 3-point shot from Martay Barnes. The Seminoles did not trail from that point.
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Florida State led at halftime 38-31.
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Junior Kam Taylor started the second half scoring seven straight points for the Seminoles. Taylor finished with 16 points and six rebounds.
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The Tigers would tie the game 73-73 with 3:17 remaining in the game.
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Freshman Elisèe Assui finished an and-one that would give the lead back to Florida State, 76-73, and give them the momentum to close the game. Assui scored 11 points and grabbed four rebounds.
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Junior Sebastian Rancik rounded out the double-digit scorers for Florida State, finishing the game with 13 points and five rebounds. Rancik finished 4-of-4 from the free throw line, with all four makes coming with less than 1:30 in the game.
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Florida State begins regular season action against Florida A&M on Monday, Nov. 2, at 8:30 p.m. ET at the Orion180 Tip-Off Classic at the Benchmark International Arena in Tampa.
For more information on Florida State men's basketball, check Seminoles.com for the latest news and scheduling information, and keep up with the team on social media through Twitter/X (@FSUHoops), Instagram (@FSUHoops) and Facebook (@FSUMBasketball).
