Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Mann, ’Noles improve to 12-1 after 8-point win
NO. 21 FSU 76, SAMFORD 68
TALLAHASSEE — Xavier Rathan-Mayes’ 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer took a slight bounce off the rim and then hit nothing but the bottom of the net to spark the Florida State men’s basketball team.
Later, Terance Mann’s put-back slam dunk with under two minutes remaining was the highlight play of the game and final touch on a notable start to the Seminoles’ season.
Mann led all scorers with a career-high 19 points along with five rebounds as the No. 21 Seminoles beat Samford, 76-68, on Monday afternoon in front of an announced crowd of 4,405 people at the Donald L. Tucker Center.
Rathan-Mayes added 15 points with five assists and four rebounds as the Seminoles improved to 12-1 this season, the third-best mark in school history.
“We know we have to keep winning and keep getting better,” Mann said. “We haven’t done anything yet. We haven’t done anything really in five years.
“We just have to keep getting better and prove to the world that we’re here, and we’re good.”
Mann and Rathan-Mayes helped jump-start a fastpaced second half for the Seminoles against a pesky opponent.
FSU begins conference play with its next game at home against Wake Forest on Dec. 28, its first ACC road game at Virginia on Dec. 31 and a daunting slate against Duke, North Carolina, Notre Dame and Louisville in January.
“It’s just the beginning for us,” Rathan-Mayes said. “It’s just a stepping stone in the right direction for us. … Our ultimate goal is to win an ACC championship and make a big run to a national championship. That’s what we’re focused on right now.”