Florida State University Athletics
No. 24 Women’s Hoops Tops Georgia Tech on Senior Day
2/19/2023 6:21:38 PM | Women's Basketball
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The 24th-ranked Florida State Women’s Basketball team finished its regular-season home schedule in style, honoring its four-member senior class with an 80-66 win over Georgia Tech on Sunday afternoon at the Tucker Center.
The Seminoles (22-7, 11-5) honored seniors Valencia Myers, Erin Howard, Taylor O’Brien and Jazmine Massengill prior to Sunday’s game. Freshman Ta’Niya Latson then did a takeover of her own when she dropped 31 points on 10-of-16 shooting, her school-record seventh 30-point game of the season and her second this season vs. the Yellow Jackets (13-14, 4-12).
For the Seniors #NoleFAM pic.twitter.com/lFBrePBXPt
— FSU Women's Basketball (@fsuwbb) February 19, 2023
“Obviously it was an emotional game,” FSU Head Coach Brooke Wyckoff said. “Last home game (of the regular season), senior day, honoring some amazing seniors who have done so much for us. Playing a rival like Georgia Tech who always provides a challenge. We’re really happy to come out of here with a win. I thought we did a great job of finishing the game and getting stops when we really needed to.”
After closing out their previous game with an 11-0 run, the Seminoles did more damage late in the game with a 7-0 finalized run. With Georgia Tech clinging to a three-possession game trailing 73-66, Latson hit the dagger with a 3-point field goal from the left wing to give FSU a 10-point cushion. FSU was able to get four consecutive stops defensively to finish the game.
Latson shot 10-of-16 from the floor and 9-of-10 from the free throw line. She ranks second in FSU history in single-season free throws made with 162, and her 640 total points scored this season are the third-most by a Seminole.
We our seniors #NoleFAM pic.twitter.com/R6H2BKN1xw
— FSU Women's Basketball (@fsuwbb) February 19, 2023
After allowing Georgia Tech to shoot 11-of-15 in the first quarter, FSU held the Yellow Jackets to just 14-of-44 (31.8 percent) from the floor the rest of the way. The Seminoles countered with a hot-shooting second quarter, shooting 57.1 percent in the frame and out-scoring Georgia Tech 24-13.
Senior Sara Bejedi, who has one more year of eligibility remaining, aided the Seminoles on both ends of the floor with 14 points and four rebounds. Her commitment to the defensive end contributed a strong performance against Georgia Tech sharp-shooter Cameron Swartz.
Sophomore O’Mariah Gordon was another major contributor off the bench, scoring 10 points with three assists and no turnovers in 16:20. She helped FSU’s bench out-score Georgia Tech, 21-11. FSU also capitalized in points off turnovers, out-pacing Georgia Tech 18-2.
Florida State enters the final week of the regular season in a tie for the No. 4 spot in the ACC standings. Louisville currently holds the tie-breaker with identical 11-5 marks in the conference based on head-to-head. The Seminoles gained a spot in the standings following Miami’s loss to Syracuse on Sunday.
The Seminoles finish the regular-season home schedule with a 14-1 mark in the Tucker Center, their best home record since going 15-1 in the 2015-16 season.
Florida State faces a crucial season-ending road swing next week, heading to Wake Forest on Thursday (6 p.m. on ACCNX) and Clemson on Sunday (2 p.m. on ACC Network).